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Instructional Safety Video

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Hoveround Instructional Series

Transcript

Narrator: For demonstration purposes, the Hoveround MPV5 is shown. The information provided in this video applies to all Hoveround models.

Tom: Thank you for choosing a genuine Hoveround, congratulations. I'm Tom Kruse, inventor of Hoveround. We know your personal mobility is of the utmost importance and we're pleased you have selected the very best. As we welcome you to our Hoveround family, let us also assure you we are focused on your safety. When used properly and safely, your Hoveround gives you independence, and I know you'll appreciate the innovative design of your power chair.

We appreciate you taking a few minutes to enjoy this video presentation, which demonstrates how to safely operate and maintain your Hoveround. As you familiarize yourself with your Hoveround, please remember that our customer service representatives are just a toll-free call away should you have any additional questions. Again, welcome to our family and thank you for choosing Hoveround.

Marsha Cicoria: Yes, learning to use your Hoveround safely will, in turn, enhance your freedom and mobility. Your Hoveround is a battery-operated motor vehicle. Its operation requires caution and consideration for your personal safety and the safety of others around you. Please read your entire owner's manual thoroughly and call toll free if you require further assistance. Just call 1-800-96HOVER, that's 964-6837.

Narrator: At Hoveround, safety is our number one concern. As you prepare to drive your Hoveround, always take special care and operate your Hoveround properly and safely. Always make sure the power is off before getting into or out of your Hoveround. Always wear your seatbelt while operating or seated in your Hoveround. Use the seatbelt to help maintain good driving posture. Never operate your Hoveround while taking medications, drugs, or alcohol. That may affect your ability to drive safely.

Never carry passengers or cargo on your Hoveround. Never exceed the maximum weight capacity of your Hoveround. Never allow objects to hang from any part of your Hoveround or hold objects, such as leashes, shopping bags, or purses that could get tangled in the wheels. Do not wear loose clothing, such as bathrobes, dangling belts, or jewelry, such as bracelets that may interfere with the operation of your Hoveround or get caught in the wheels, joystick, or other moving parts. Always keep your hands, legs, and feet away from the wheels. Do not operate your Hoveround while in bare feet and always keep your feet securely on the footrest or footplate. Do not reach, lean, or bend while seated in or operating your Hoveround.

Marsha Cicoria: For your comfort and safety, a good driving posture is necessary.

Narrator: If adjusting the seat recline lever, make sure the seat back is held in place. Don't adjust the seat to any position that impairs driving visibility, such as the reclined, forward or swivel positions. If your Hoveround is equipped with a swivel seat, always be certain the swivel seat is locked into the forward position before attempting to drive your Hoveround.

If you have the standard seat, never lean on the seat back for support. It folds forward and will not support anyone leaning against it. In addition, make sure the arm-tightening knobs are tightened securely. A clear line of sight ahead of your Hoveround, a good view of the location of joystick controller, and comfortable hand access to the joystick and speed control are mandatory.

If needed, adjust your controller location. For details on how to adjust your controller, refer to your owner's manual. Should you develop skin discomfort, redness, irritation or skin ulcers on your thighs, legs, feet, or buttocks, contact your physician immediately and discontinue using your Hoveround.

It is important that individuals with diabetes or other neurological conditions inspect or have someone inspect daily the skin surfaces which contact the seating system, leg supports and foot rest for signs of redness, irritation, or skin ulcers to prevent serious injury or complications. Should you experience any of these symptoms, please discontinue using your Hoveround immediately and contact your physician.

Marsha Cicoria: Now you're ready to learn how to safely operate your Hoveround.

Narrator: Always make sure the power is turned off on your Hoveround before getting into or out of the seat. There are several different ways to get into your Hoveround. Consult your healthcare professional to determine the best method for your medical condition. One method of getting into the seat is to flip the footplate to the upright position and to enter the seat from the front.

Never stand on the footplate or footrest or put weight on the footplate or footrest when getting into or out of your Hoveround. This will cause the vehicle to tip forward to the front anti-tip system. Avoid placing your hands on the controller while getting into or out of your Hoveround, as this may cause the power to be turned on.

Another way to get into your Hoveround is to swivel the seat to the side, if your Hoveround is so equipped. This can be done by releasing the swivel lever on the side of the chair, pivoting the seat to the side, and then sitting in the seat. Turn the seat to the forward-facing position and lock the swivel mechanism into place. Remember to always wear your seatbelt while seated in or operating your Hoveround. After fastening your seatbelt, look around and make sure you have allowed plenty of space to drive your Hoveround. We're now ready to practice driving your Hoveround.

Make sure you're seated comfortably, with a good line of sight. Ensure that the swivel seat is locked in the forward-facing position, if your Hoveround is so equipped. With the power off, practice using the joystick to determine the limits of movement. Observe that when released, the joystick returns to the center. Releasing the joystick during operation will cause your Hoveround to come to a stop. With your hand off the joystick, press the power button to turn on your Hoveround.

Note, if the joystick is not in the center position when your Hoveround is turned on, a fault condition is indicated. Return the joystick to center. If your Hoveround does not move, reset the control by turning the power off and then on. Check the battery gauge for adequate battery capacity. Please refer to your owner's manual for details. Set the speed control to the lowest speed setting. Please refer to your owner's manual for detailed instructions on adjusting the speed setting.

Set the speed control to be consistent with your surrounding environment. In confined spaces and while learning to drive your Hoveround, we recommend that the speed control be set to the lowest setting. It's important to keep the speed at a low setting until you're completely comfortable with driving your Hoveround.

As your skill increases, you may want to increase the speed control setting. With each increase of the speed control setting, practice stopping so that you can accurately determine proper stopping distance. Now, gently move the joystick forward. A click from the foot of the vehicle can be heard as the controller releases the motor brakes and your Hoveround will move slowly forward. Observe that if the joystick is released, the lever will return to the center or neutral position and your Hoveround will stop.

Note that when your Hoveround stops, another click will be heard, as the brakes are engaged. Do not operate your Hoveround if it is not functioning correctly or if the controller lights are flashing. For your safety, your Hoveround will not respond to move commands if an error condition is sensed. Consult your owner's manual for detailed instructions on how to troubleshoot common error conditions. Contact Hoveround technical support at 1-800-96hover if an error condition persists. That's 1-800-964-6837.

Move the joystick lever fully right, your Hoveround will move in a circle to the right. moving the lever fully left will cause your Hoveround to circle to the left. Gently move the joystick lever backward, and your Hoveround will move slowly backward. Note that the backward movement is about half the speed of the forward movement. Look behind you carefully before backing up. If you move the joystick lever gently back into the right, your Hoveround will move backward to the left and vice versa. Learn the characteristics of your Hoveround and the limits of your own driving ability.

Marsha Cicoria: Be patient and continue practicing until you feel comfortable.

Narrator: Warning: keep the speed low until you are completely comfortable with controlling your Hoveround. Practice driving on a flat surface in a wide open area using movable items, such as empty boxes as an obstacle course to learn how to maneuver your Hoveround. As your skill increases, you may want to increase the speed control. For each increase of the speed control, be sure you practice several stops until you get used to the new stopping distances.

Marsha Cicoria: Now, that we've gone over important safety information regarding the basic operation of your Hoveround, we need to cover additional safety information that you should be aware of when operating your Hoveround inside your home.

Narrator: Always ensure that paths and hallways are clear of all obstacles, such as furniture or other objects that may affect your ability to drive your Hoveround in a safe manner. Secure or remove any loose rugs or carpets in your home, as they could get caught in the wheels of your Hoveround. Always drive slowly and with caution when going over thresholds or uneven surfaces inside your home. Exit doors should always be kept free of any obstacles to allow you to safely exit your home in case of an emergency.

Do not operate our Hoveround on unstable surfaces, such as grass, gravel or sand, to prevent tipping over or getting stuck. When in doubt, avoid driving on that surface. Do not operate your Hoveround over slippery surfaces, such as ice, oil, polish, oily or treated surfaces. Do not expose your Hoveround or operate your Hoveround in conditions such as rain, standing water, sleet, slush, or snow. This could be dangerous to the driver and damage your Hoveround.

Driving your Hoveround on inclines, slopes, ramps, and obstacles can be dangerous. Even experienced power chair drivers can get into trouble by underestimating a slope, ramp or obstacle. Do not drive on slopes or over obstacles. It might cause you to fall or injure yourself or others around you. Crossing a slope, ramp or obstacle on an angle can present further danger of tipping over. To prevent harm or injury, drive only on slopes or ramps that are properly maintained and comply with the standards determined by the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA.

Use caution at a slow speed setting when approaching a slope, ramp or obstacle. Do not exceed the obstacle or ramp-climbing capability of your Hoveround and never attempt to climb or descend a slope greater than five degrees. Consult your owner's manual for further information. Always take advantage of provided curb cut-downs. Always climb and/or descend slopes straight up or straight down. Never drive across the slope. Do not operate on ramps without side rails or ramps that appear to be too weak to hold the combined weight of you and your Hoveround or that do not comply with ADA standards. Do not attempt to climb or descend a potentially hazardous incline. Obstacles you may have to overcome in daily use include thresholds, lifts, ramps, and hazards such as potholes and broken pavement.

These can damage your Hoveround and may cause a fall, tip-over or loss of control. Never turn, climb or descend at an angle and do not abruptly change direction when operating on an incline or uneven surface, nor should you abruptly change direction any time you're traveling at high speeds.

Your Hoveround is not designed to travel up or down stairs or escalators. Always use an elevator.

You should not operate your Hoveround on public streets and roadways. Be aware that it may be difficult for traffic to see you when you're seated on your Hoveround. Obey all local pedestrian traffic rules. Be alert to the danger of motor vehicles in parking lots. Wait until your path is clear of traffic and then proceed with extreme caution. When it is necessary to cross a road, do so at a location where you are clearly visible to motor traffic, preferably at a light-controlled pedestrian crossing. Cross the road by the most direct route.

Marsha Cicoria: Like many satisfied Hoveround owners, you may want to transport your Hoveround.

Narrator: Do not occupy your Hoveround while it is being loaded or transported in a motor vehicle or trailer. Prior to loading, you should transfer from your Hoveround to a motor vehicle seat and then secure your Hoveround to the motor vehicle with an approved four-point tie-down system. For more information about Hoveround's optional HoverLift, just call your Hoveround customer service representative toll free.

Do not perform any maintenance without first turning the power off and disconnecting the batteries. Always perform the operator performance and maintenance checks that are detailed in the maintenance section of your owner's manual.

Marsha Cicoria: When performing maintenance, do not modify your Hoveround in any way. Modification or tampering will void the warranty and may cause your Hoveround to malfunction and expose you to physical harm.

Narrator: Before each use, always check the tires and manual break release as recommended in your owner's manual. Additionally, there are other items that may need to be maintained. Please refer to your owner's manual for detailed instructions.

Located near the front of the joystick controller, you'll see the battery gauge and status indicator. This alerts you to the remaining capacity of batteries and error conditions. To learn more, please refer to your owner's manual. In order to charge the batteries on your Hoveround, first make sure the power is turned off on your Hoveround, then insert the charger output cord firmly into the charger port, located on the controller.

Plug the battery charger AC cord into a 120-volt rounded wall outlet. Do not plug your charger into an extension cord. Always plug the charger directly into a properly grounded wall outlet. For further details on battery charger operation, please refer to your owner's manual. Do not leave the battery charger connected to a power source when not charging. Do not use a charger if a power cord or plug is damaged.

Your Hoveround uses two sealed wheelchair batteries, which should provide 45 hours of continuous full-speed driving. Never attempt to open your batteries. Charge the batteries with only the supplied charger. Recharging time will vary based on the amount of use of your Hoveround. A full recharge may take up to eight hours, so we recommend an overnight charge after a day's use of your Hoveround.

Do not connect any devices, medical or otherwise, to the batteries or electrical system, except those supplied by Hoveround. Typically, the useful life of your batteries is about 200 to 500 recharging cycles, or approximately one year. Please contact your Hoveround representative for replacement batteries.

Hoveround advises you to read your owner's manual. There, you will learn about electromagnetic interference or EMI. All powered chairs may be susceptible to EMI emitted from sources such as radio and TV stations, amateur radio transmitters, two-way radios, and cellular phones.

This interference can cause your Hoveround to release its breaks, move by itself or move in unintended directions. It can also permanently damage the Unit's control system. An additional important precaution: do not operate radio transmitters such as cellular phones, CBs or walkie-talkies from your Hoveround unless the power to your Hoveround is in the off setting.

Again, to learn more about our radio wave sources may affect the control of your Hoveround, please read your owner's manual.

Marsha Cicoria: Remember, your Hoveround is covered by a limited warranty. For warranty service, please contact your authorized Hoveround service center.

Tom: Now you're ready to safely enjoy your Hoveround, it is our pleasure to help you discover the very best in personal mobility and freedom. As you familiarize yourself with your Hoveround, please remember that our customer service representatives are just a toll free call away, should you have any additional questions.

Thank you again for choosing Hoveround.