For school districts navigating the challenges of accessible student transportation, the task of securing wheelchair passengers safely, quickly, and consistently is often one of the most demanding responsibilities that drivers face. Between training, time constraints, equipment variability, and physical strain, traditional four-point securement systems (though reliable) can become operational challenges. Recognizing this need for innovation, Q’STRAINT has introduced the Q’STRAINT ONE platform, also known as Q’ONE. an all-in-one securement solution designed specifically to streamline and improve the securement process on school buses.
“Usually, the first reaction we get is, ‘Wow,’” said Trisha Nolen, Q’STRAINT’s Southern Regional Manager for the School Bus and Paratransit market. “And their jaws are dropped.”
But behind that “wow” lies thoughtful engineering, built on decades of expertise and real-world input from the school transportation community.
Nolen said that Q’ONE directly addresses the challenges transportation directors face, which is why school districts nationwide are embracing this new approach to securement.
Removing Obstacles, Not Just Equipment
“The goal was to design a system that ensured passengers are secured even more quickly, safely, and properly, while also being intuitive to the drivers,” Nolen said. “So, the Q’STRAINT ONE is an all-in-one securements platform that replaces many parts and obstacles of the traditional four-point securement with a simplified single platform.”
Q’ONE distills the securement process into a unified system that anticipates the needs of both operators and riders.
“We’ve removed all of that,” Nolen said, referring to the most onerous parts of traditional systems, like anchoring securements into floor tracks. “It is already in the floor.”
As buses age, track debris can further complicate traditional systems, creating liability issues and slowing boarding times.
“The hardest part for the drivers to do is putting it in and out of the floor,” Nolen said. “So, we’ve removed all of that.”
The Challenge: Getting Securement Right Every Time
According to Nolen, the biggest barriers to effective securement fall into three categories:
• Anchoring Securements Improperly
• Achieving Proper Belt Angles
• Incorrect Occupant Securement
All three are resolved through Q’ONE’s unified design.
“First off, not anchoring the securements properly to the vehicle floor or placing them in the proper position,” Nolen said. We see that a lot. The cool part from the driver’s standpoint is that the whole step in the securement process is eliminated.”
Traditional four-point systems often struggle to accommodate today’s larger mobility devices, which limit the space drivers have to achieve the proper belt angle (ideally 45 degrees) for effective restraint. Q’ONE’s design solves that problem too.
“The Q’STRAINT ONE gives more room between the chair and securements, making it much easier to achieve the ideal belt angle,” Nolen said.
But perhaps most critically, the Q’ONE makes it easier to correctly secure the student and not just the wheelchair.
“Most incidents don’t occur because of improperly securing the wheelchair,” she added. “But result from improperly securing the occupant.”
Q’ONE’s occupant securement system is preloaded and equipped with a self-tensioning feature, allowing for easier access and dramatically reducing the invasive nature of manual securement.
How Q’ONE Works
Q’ONE was designed not just to meet safety standards, but to improve the entire operational experience, from the driver’s perspective to the students’.
“For the passengers, nothing’s going to be different,” Nolen said. “There’s nothing for them to do once they’re placed on that platform.”
Drivers, however, will find the process radically simplified.
“The best thing for the driver, they don’t need to put the securements into the track,” she said. “They don’t need to release the securement individually or tension the system.”
Instead, the steps are streamlined:
1. The driver positions the student or passenger
2. They press a button to unlock the securements
3. They use familiar four-point securement principles to fasten the wheelchair and occupant
4. They tap the button again to get a green light visual indicator that securement is complete
5. They perform a movement test, and the bus is ready to go
Time Savings and Speed to Route
Q’ONE delivers where it counts for every operations manager: time.
“It’s about four times faster than the standard securement,” Nolen said.
And faster doesn’t mean compromising on safety:
“It’s faster, but as well as it’s still remaining safe,” she said. “So, we’re remaining safe. But about four times faster.”
According to Mike Grom, Q’STRAINT’s Director of Sales for the Paratransit, School, and Mobility markets, that is a game-changer for driver efficiency.
“Especially pertaining to the occupant restraint… that tends to be the absolute hardest piece. The Q’STRAINT ONE has made it very simple for them to use and it is very intuitive.”
A Smaller Footprint
While Q’ONE doesn’t alter the overall bus footprint, it reclaims space inside the vehicle that would otherwise be lost to traditional securement equipment.
“It does not change the footprint, but you gain about 6.5 inches of usable space for even those larger mobility devices,” Nolen said. “This is because of the path that the webbing takes from the floor securement to the mobility device.”
With no housing, fittings, or track mechanisms sticking out into the aisle or around the wheelchair space, the Q’ONE simplifies the physical layout.
“The webbing comes directly up out of the floor,” Grom said. “You’re gaining roughly 6.5 inches to a standard space.”
Scalable Training
Q’ONE’s ease of use is matched by a robust training approach that helps school districts adopt the system quickly and onboard new drivers.
“The drivers should be receiving the same training for four-point securement, which is going to help them identify the proper securement point on the wheelchair and proper placement of the occupant securement,” Nolen said. “They’re already doing that.”
But Q’STRAINT goes further with two innovative resources:
• A QR code on each unit, linking to “ONE Approach,” a step-by-step training tool
• Access to Q’STRAINT Training Academy with free monthly webinars covering securement best practices
“The nice thing about that QR code is that it’s on the bus,” she said. “The driver, if for whatever reason they need to, can access it all by themselves immediately on that bus.”
Designed for Special Needs
Q’ONE is not meant as a niche solution. It is built for widespread application in modern school transportation.
“Any lift-equipped special-needs type C buses or any type A bus, is going to benefit from having a Q’STRAINT ONE,” Nolen said. “So anywhere they are transporting students in wheelchairs will definitely benefit from the Q’STRAINT ONE.”
That benefit is not limited to functionality. According to the team, the product consistently generates excitement among transportation departments, with school bus shows generating significant interest and customer trials converting into full deployments.
“Whenever we show the Q’STRAINT ONE, they wants it,” Grom said. “Most people that do have any pushback, it’s because they just can’t get their mindset or their driver’s mindset from the traditional systems that they’re used to seeing.”
Tested and Proven
While excitement and innovation drive interest, Q’ONE’s credibility is rooted in compliance and rigorous safety testing.
Q’STRAINT ONE meets ANSI / RESNA WC18, the industry best practice standard for securement equipment.
To learn more about Q’ONE or view a visual demonstration of the platform’s footprint and functionality, visit www.qstraint.com/one.