We tell you why having the ideal driving position is important and how you can find yours…
Figuring out the ideal driving position is one of the most important things to do before you set out on any random drive. Being seated correctly ensures the driver a safe and comfortable drive ahead, offering optimum visibility and control over the vehicle. Back pain, shoulder pain and stiff neck (just to name a few) are more than common freebies with frequent long drives. These can be minimized to a great extent with an appropriate and optimized driving posture.
How would be your ideal driving position? We will now help you figure out the same…
Easy Reach To Foot Pedals
One must be seated so as to reach the foot pedals effortlessly. Adjust your seat until you find your sweet spot for reach. For this, use the lever to move the seat forward and backward, check how comfortable you are in reaching both the accelerator and the clutch (to the fullest of its travel) without straining your legs or having to reposition yourself for the same.
In the ideal driving position your arms should be slightly bent and should reach the steering wheel with ease. For this, settle down in the seat first and stretch your arms in a way to rest your wrists on the top of the steering. And remember, your elbow should not be too close to your body while attempting turns.
Ideal Back Rest Angle
A straight, perpendicular seating position is never a driver’s cup of tea. Backrest angle is something that affects the comfort and the health of the driver, as back pain can be common for a wrongly-seated driver. The ideal angle of recline is 100 degrees and it can go up to 110 degrees. A too straight angle heightens discomfort while a laid-back angle affects visibility (and control and response at times).
Height of the seat
The height of the seat is very significant in the overall comfort and safety of the driver. It has direct impacts on the visibility of the driver as too high and too low positions could take great tolls on this. Always remember to repose your hip at your knee-height position. In manual cars, always adjust the seat to avoid rubbing the gear lever with your knees, while working on it.
Even while the seat height continues to be a key concern for the well-being of the driver, a height adjustable driver seat is still a ‘premium’ feature in our country., Even today, many budget cars ditch this feature, apparently to keep the prices in check. In this case, one has to be very careful in choosing the ‘budget car’ to put his money on, as the ideal choice here would depend largely on the user’s physique. Doing a detailed test drive would help solve the concern.
Headrest position
Headrest position and design can affect your safety and comfort to a great extent. So don’t mind removing it, should you think it hinders your ride comfort. It can be adjusted up and down in most vehicles while some cheaper cars come with integrated headrests, which would apparently not suit everyone alike. Some premium cars also offer headrests that can be moved back and forth as well, and they should stand directly behind the eye position. As an ideal practice, the headrest should be positioned up to two inches from the back of the driver’s head and it’s dangerous for it to cross 4 inches. An ideal head restraint position will minimize neck travel and boost injuries during collisions.
Steering position
Nowadays, automatic and manual steering adjustments are available. Steering wheels these days can be adjusted for reach and rake. A too high placement of the wheel may add strain to your shoulders while a too low settlement may hurt your knees during braking and deep turns. An ideal adjustment is when it faces your chest position, with no hinderance to the view of the instrument cluster. The optimum reach should facilitate the ideal steering wheel position discussed earlier.
Don’t Forget Mirrors
As a final step, adjust your mirrors after the right positioning of the seat. Always remember to keep a slight amount of the car in the rearview mirror as a reference point. Make sure to adjust your shoulder belt across your chest and lap belt across your hips, to better suit your comfort.
Now that you are ready, lets hit the roads…
