A system and method for positioning a seat arrangement in a vehicle having a front seat arrangement and a rear seat arrangement includes moving the rear seat arrangement rearward relative to the vehicle when a plurality of criteria are met, including at least one criterion related to occupancy of the rear seat arrangement and at least one criterion related to a likelihood of impact into the vehicle from behind the vehicle. The rear seat arrangement is not moved rearward when at least one of the criteria is not met.

An occupant protection device includes: a lumbar support section that is displaceable between an upper limit position and a lower limit position, and is displaceable between an advanced position pressing against the lumbar region and a retreated position further to a seatback rear side than the advanced position; a displacement mechanism that displaces a frontmost location of the lumbar support section; a rear collision prediction section that predicts a rear-end collision to a vehicle; and an actuation controller that, in cases in which a vehicle rear-end collision has been predicted by the rear collision prediction section in a state in which the frontmost location of the lumbar support section is not at the lower limit position, controls the displacement mechanism, and sets the frontmost location at the lower limit position and at the advanced position.

A motor vehicle for independent use by an individual in a wheelchair, comprising an open air vehicle body including a floor further comprising a front, a rear, and lateral sides, said floor sized and shaped to receive and retain a wheelchair; a motor; at least one front and at least one rear wheel supporting said vehicle body and floor, each of said front and rear wheels attached rotatably near an underside of a corner of the vehicle body; at least one actuator attaching said floor to said at least one rear wheel, wherein said floor can be lowered to a ground surface and raised to a level floor position; wherein a rear portion of said floor is structured to fold upward to form said rear side and fold downward to be in line with said floor; and a steering control assembly coupled to said at least one front wheel.