Finding your optimal driving position

Ensuring your car is set up correctly for every journey not only provides optimal comfort, it also helps to ensure your journey is a safe one. An optimal driving position will help prevent accidents and improve safety (should an accident occur).

The tips below from NRMA driver training will help you adjust to the proper seating position. 

How to find your best driving position

Feet

• Your right heel should be placed on the floor between the accelerator and the brake. Your foot should able to swivel between the accelerator and brake without lifting off the floor.

• Your left heel should rest on the footrest provided in most vehicles on the left side wall of the foot well. It should be placed here at all times for an automatic vehicle and when not in use for the clutch in a manual vehicle.

Legs and back

• There should be a slight bend in your knees which not only aids in comfort but also acts as a brace in case of a crash and allows for better absorption of road bumps while driving. Straight legs do not provide the required dexterity required to operate the foot controls correctly.

• Your backside should be placed towards the back of the seat for support of your lower spine and posture.

• Move the car seat forward or back to ensure you are not too far away from the foot controls and the steering wheel. You can also move the car seat up and down in most modern vehicles.

Steering wheel

• Most modern vehicles have numerous adjustments for the steering wheel which is paramount for safe deployment of the airbags. Steering wheels commonly can be adjusted up down and also in and out in telescopic manner.

• The steering wheel should be lowered as much as possible without blocking your view of instrument information such as speedometer. Ideally it should sit facing towards your chest (not face) with approximately an A4 page distance between you and the middle of steering wheel. Any closer than A4 page length could result in an increased risk of injury in the event of an airbag deployment in a crash.

• After making the adjustments mentioned above, place both wrists on top of the steering wheel.  Your arms should be completely straight. This allows you to have a slight bend in your arms when returning your hands to the normal holding of the steering wheel position. This again helps aid with the correct amount of dexterity for steering and use of auxiliary controls.

Seat belt

• Low, flat, firm: There should be no twists or knots in the belt. Seat belts are designed to be fitted across the strong points of the skeleton. Low, flat and firm across the hips and shoulder.

• The seat belt height can be adjusted in most vehicles via a mechanism which slides up and down the inside right pillar of the car. A rule of thumb is for the seat belt adjuster to sit approximately even with your right ear.

Head support

• Designed to support your head in a sudden impact, and reduce neck injury and whip lash.

• The middle of the headrest should sit around the rounded position of your skull where it meets your spinal column.

Now that you are all set up correctly, you can ensure you have a safe and comfortable drive, every drive.