How to sit behind the wheel: tips for novice motorists

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:43

The novice motorist has a lot to learn. Its comfort and safety depend on the timely development of certain skills. How to sit behind the wheel? Proper landing provides good visibility, reduces the likelihood of an accident. It also protects the driver from premature fatigue. What do you need to know about this?

Common mistakes

Where to start? First of all, it is worth understanding what mistakes novice motorists make. Only after that you can proceed to the answer to the question of how to properly sit behind the wheel.

Beginner drivers make the same mistakes. Some of them hang on the steering wheel, taking the so-called "taxi driver's position". Others raise the seat too high. Both options are harmful to the spine, which receives too much stress. All this can lead to the development of osteochondrosis, sciatica, and so on. Also, it is not easy for a person who is bent over the steering wheel tofull control of the wheel. Visibility is deteriorating, which is extremely dangerous.

How to properly sit behind the wheel of a vehicle

The above is about what not to do. What is the ideal body position? How to sit behind the wheel in order not to get tired and control the situation on the road?

First you need to sit on the seat, determine the farthest point of the steering wheel and take it there. Then you should press the clutch pedal all the way, or place your left foot on the “dead pedal” (a platform designed to rest the left foot). It will not be difficult to correctly set the position of the seat after this. It must be adjusted so that the arms and legs are slightly bent.

The driver's back must be in contact at three points with the seatback. The loin, shoulder blades and lower part of the neck are pressed tightly against it. This position allows you not to slide off the chair, but to sit confidently in it.

How to hold the steering wheel

What else do you need to know about how to properly sit behind the wheel? It is important to learn how to properly hold the steering wheel. Many modern cars provide the ability to customize it. It is necessary that the steering wheel does not block the dashboard, does not hinder movement. Your hand should fit easily between your feet and the wheel. Your wrists should easily reach the top of the handlebars. The hub should be directed not to the stomach, but to the face.

The mistake is made by those who treat the steering wheel askind of anchor point. Only the weight of the hands should be concentrated on it. The main weight of the body should be on the seat, with 70% on the back.

Legs

How to sit behind the wheel, taking into account the position of the legs? First you need to put your right foot on the brake, and send your left foot on the clutch pedal. Your heels should be at the bottom of the pedals. Next, the socks are bred to the sides. At the same time, the position of the heels remains unchanged.

As a result, the toe of the right foot will be on the gas pedal. The toe of the left foot will be to the left of the clutch pedal. When changing pedals, do not lift the foot, as this will lead to a shift in the center of gravity.

Headrest

To properly sit in a car while driving, you need to remember something about the head restraint. A fairly common mistake is to raise it to the level of the neck. This not only creates discomfort for the driver while driving. In the event of an accident, he risks breaking his neck. This is especially true if someone crashes into the car from behind. A slight push is enough to cause serious injury or even death.

Which position is considered correct and safe? It is necessary to fix the headrest at the level of the back of the head. Its slope should be such that the back of the head, shoulders and back form one line at an angle of 110 degrees.

It is also important that a sufficient distance is maintained between the passenger compartment ceiling and the driver's head. To check, you need to put a fist between your head and the ceiling, it should pass freely. If this doesn't happen,lower the seat. It must be remembered that injury can be obtained not only during an accident, but also when driving over bumps.

Finally, you need to leave free space between the headrest and the back of the head. Great if it is about the thickness of the palm of your hand.

Seat belt

How should a driver sit behind the wheel? Everyone should be aware of the need to wear seat belts. The belt is an important safety factor. This part is also in need of proper adjustment.

It is recommended to choose the length of the belt so that the product passes through the chest from the shoulder. This detail should in no case be at the level of the throat. How tight should the belt be? Between him and the chest should be free to pass the palm. This will avoid excessive pressure on the chest.

Unfortunately, many motorists still neglect seat belts. They prefer to throw them on rather than strap them on. However, statistics say that wearing a product doubles the likelihood of survival. If the machine tips over and rolls over, this figure increases up to five times.

All drivers are different

And how to sit behind the wheel of a car for the owner of a non-standard physique? In this case, the person needs to take additional measures.

• Long legs. You should try to sit more upright. In this case, the focus should be onhand comfort.
• Small shoe size. How to make sure that the heels do not come off the floor? A small stand or board attached to the floor under a rubber mat will help with this task.
• Long arms. The seat back in this case should be tilted back, and then slide down a little. Keep in mind that this position increases neck muscle tension.
• Short arms. It is recommended to sit more upright, slightly bend your legs. In addition, you can slightly bend the gear lever so that you do not have to deviate from the seat each time you use it.
• Weak hands. You can try to install a handlebar with a larger diameter.

Besides this

People drive different cars. How to sit behind the wheel of Kyo Rio, Hyundai Solaris, etc.? The above recommendations are relevant for any driver and any car. You also need to be sure to familiarize yourself with the capabilities of a particular vehicle, understand its settings.

Regardless of which car a person prefers, he can check the correct posture. To do this, it is enough to tear off the feet from the floor, and hands from the steering wheel. If the body does not move back or forward, then there is nothing to worry about, the motorist has created optimal conditions for himself for a comfortable and safe ride. If the body is unstable, it is necessary to adjust the position of the seat. In many cases, just changing the inclination of the pillow is sufficient.