Driving Position / Where to hold the steering wheel! - Team-BHP

Torque-ative · 22nd December 2006, 16:40

Like all people who love to drive, I have constantly experimented with various driving position. Seat pushed all the way back, Steering wheel real low, when I want to look and feel cool. Wheel Closer and higher when I need to be cautious of the terrain, seat high,..seat low...the list continues....and is endless !!

However wasn't really sure which one would really help me be a better driver. I thought I was doing okay, Untill I realized I was missing more than one or two shifts during rapid up-shifting,..and down-shifting manovers.

Some research on the subject yeilded this link. Must read for all performance oriented brothers out there.

Is There a Correct Driving Position?

Motor on !!

Shan2nu · 22nd December 2006, 17:50

Driving position works for race cars, bcos everything is designed keeping the driver in mind.

Regular road car can adjust steering and seating postions to a certain extent, but to get a perfect setup, you'l have to start from scratch.

Some supercars like the Carrera GT, Enzo Ferrari, Mclaren F1 etc have the cockpit designed to match the person buying it.

Everything from pedal design to seat dimensions can be altered, even before you buy the Enzo.

For us regular people, just make the best of what is available.

Shan2nu

sreenivass · 22nd December 2006, 19:20

I am driven by the safety rule as far as seating position goes. I make sure there is at least a cubit of distance between my chest and the closest part of steering wheel to me. It probably turns out to be some thing like 8 inches. Other factors are if I can fully depress the clutch and brakes from a position and the visibility I get of the vehicle borders.

My recliner generally is in a position where it gives me enough lumbar support, but occasionally changes based on the comfort level I feel and the visibility.

rr_zen · 23rd January 2007, 21:30

I remember reading somewhere that the 10.10 position of a clock is the ideal position to hold the steering as it enables to make most of the turns with ease. I used to have a different position before but when I tried 10.10 I felt more comfortable and had better control over the vehicle.

hellspawn · 25th January 2007, 00:44

infact the best postion for holding the steering wheel while driving is 9-3 instead of 10-2.try it and you will feel the difference.

Mugen_Power · 25th January 2007, 01:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellspawn

infact the best postion for holding the steering wheel while driving is 9-3 instead of 10-2.try it and you will feel the difference.

For me it is 9-3.

WILDTHING · 25th January 2007, 01:30

hey,
i agree to the fact that 9-3 might be a good position to drive or may it be 10-10 but in a city like mumbai where there is traffic every two minutes i feel the best position to drive is with your right hand right on top at 12 and the left hand on your gear as you will require to down-shift every two blocks.lol
cheers.

khanak · 25th January 2007, 04:48

What i do is push my seat back all the way until my when my hands are fully stretched out my wrists are on the steering wheel. In a Santro this means that the seat is fully pushed back...

theMAG · 25th January 2007, 09:47

3 o clock position for RHD cars, and 9 o clock position for LHD cars. Altho I steer one-handed most of the times

chanapli · 25th January 2007, 10:00

Ideal position according to me is "8" and "4". (though most of the time I follow one hand 12-1)

Anyother position will cause more damage if airbag is deployed.

Other logic is look at your controls ( indicator/ headlight and wiper) position. They are closer to 8-4.

Rodeo · 25th January 2007, 12:15

I feel driving position will differ from car to car. We cannot have same driving positiom for tall boy santro and low car like lancer.

navin · 25th January 2007, 12:29

We used to be tought that hands should be at 10-2 but that was 25 years ago maybe things have changed.

vezj420 · 25th January 2007, 12:35

interesting thread, but does it really belong in Technical Stuff?

I prefer a good bit of distance from chest to steering wheel, with the seat reclined to quite an obtuse angle....bit of a hangover from my days of driving in the States. An interesting case in point was driving my buddy's '89 Chevy Monte Carlo there. That thing was so huge and didn't have working seat adjusters....so with my little 5'7" frame, I was in so low that I sometimes only saw the road through the top half of the wheel! hehe...

I almost always drive one-handed with my left hand on the gear lever here, what with the constant gear changes in the city. Except when making long turns where I'll get both hands on the wheel. This was not so when I first started driving though - both hands clutching the wheel like it was dear life itself!!

scooby05 · 25th January 2007, 12:56

Feel right hand at 2, and left hand at 8 is the best position for RHD cars.
Seat height definitely, so you see over the steering wheel and possibly should also be able to see the front fender ends.
back rest reclining should be 100/120 degrees to seat base, depending on size of person and comfort level to support the thighs fully to the seat.

iraghava · 25th January 2007, 13:10

My preferred position when i'm concentrating on my driving is 10 to 2 with the seatback upright & the seat pulled back to the location where my left leg can depress the clutch fully without stretching it completely.

Also the straight seat-back helps with my back condition a lot.

22nd December 2006, 16:40	#1 (permalink)
Torque-ative BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 124	Driving Position / Where to hold the steering wheel! Like all people who love to drive, I have constantly experimented with various driving position. Seat pushed all the way back, Steering wheel real low, when I want to look and feel cool. Wheel Closer and higher when I need to be cautious of the terrain, seat high,..seat low...the list continues....and is endless !! However wasn't really sure which one would really help me be a better driver. I thought I was doing okay, Untill I realized I was missing more than one or two shifts during rapid up-shifting,..and down-shifting manovers. Some research on the subject yeilded this link. Must read for all performance oriented brothers out there. Is There a Correct Driving Position? Motor on !!

22nd December 2006, 17:50	#2 (permalink)
Shan2nu Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Hubli/Blore - Karnataka - India Posts: 4,067 View My Garage	Driving position works for race cars, bcos everything is designed keeping the driver in mind. Regular road car can adjust steering and seating postions to a certain extent, but to get a perfect setup, you'l have to start from scratch. Some supercars like the Carrera GT, Enzo Ferrari, Mclaren F1 etc have the cockpit designed to match the person buying it. Everything from pedal design to seat dimensions can be altered, even before you buy the Enzo. For us regular people, just make the best of what is available. Shan2nu __________________ VTEC flyby - youtube.com/watch?v=1AhWJlVRPqE

22nd December 2006, 19:20	#3 (permalink)
sreenivass BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Hyderabad, India Posts: 733 View My Garage	I am driven by the safety rule as far as seating position goes. I make sure there is at least a cubit of distance between my chest and the closest part of steering wheel to me. It probably turns out to be some thing like 8 inches. Other factors are if I can fully depress the clutch and brakes from a position and the visibility I get of the vehicle borders. My recliner generally is in a position where it gives me enough lumbar support, but occasionally changes based on the comfort level I feel and the visibility. Last edited by sreenivass : 22nd December 2006 at 19:23.

23rd January 2007, 21:30	#4 (permalink)
rr_zen BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Chennai, India (Now at Winston-Salem, NC) Posts: 460 View My Garage	I remember reading somewhere that the 10.10 position of a clock is the ideal position to hold the steering as it enables to make most of the turns with ease. I used to have a different position before but when I tried 10.10 I felt more comfortable and had better control over the vehicle. __________________ Ships are safest in harbour. But thats not what ships are made for !!

25th January 2007, 00:44	#5 (permalink)
hellspawn Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: noida Posts: 1,489 View My Garage	infact the best postion for holding the steering wheel while driving is 9-3 instead of 10-2.try it and you will feel the difference. __________________ Kenwood KDC-MP6539,Image Dynamics Q450.4,Image Dynamics CTX65cs,IDQ15

25th January 2007, 01:30	#7 (permalink)
WILDTHING BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: MUMBAI Posts: 57 View My Garage	Driving position hey, i agree to the fact that 9-3 might be a good position to drive or may it be 10-10 but in a city like mumbai where there is traffic every two minutes i feel the best position to drive is with your right hand right on top at 12 and the left hand on your gear as you will require to down-shift every two blocks.lol cheers. __________________ Full Throttle!!!!

25th January 2007, 04:48	#8 (permalink)
khanak Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Mumbai/Toronto Posts: 2,267 View My Garage	What i do is push my seat back all the way until my when my hands are fully stretched out my wrists are on the steering wheel. In a Santro this means that the seat is fully pushed back... __________________ Adhish आधीश् ஆதிஷ் ادهش adhish.wordpress.com __________________

25th January 2007, 09:47	#9 (permalink)
theMAG Team-BHP Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bengalooru Posts: 3,556 View My Garage	3 o clock position for RHD cars, and 9 o clock position for LHD cars. Altho I steer one-handed most of the times __________________ If you lose your temper, you’ve lost the argument

25th January 2007, 10:00	#10 (permalink)
chanapli BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Banglaore Posts: 265	Ideal position according to me is "8" and "4". (though most of the time I follow one hand 12-1) Anyother position will cause more damage if airbag is deployed. Other logic is look at your controls ( indicator/ headlight and wiper) position. They are closer to 8-4.

25th January 2007, 12:15	#11 (permalink)
Rodeo BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 242	I feel driving position will differ from car to car. We cannot have same driving positiom for tall boy santro and low car like lancer.

25th January 2007, 12:29	#12 (permalink)
navin Team-BHP Moderator Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: mumbai Posts: 11,851	We used to be tought that hands should be at 10-2 but that was 25 years ago maybe things have changed. __________________ Scixelsyd Etinu

25th January 2007, 12:35	#13 (permalink)
vezj420 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 211	interesting thread, but does it really belong in Technical Stuff? I prefer a good bit of distance from chest to steering wheel, with the seat reclined to quite an obtuse angle....bit of a hangover from my days of driving in the States. An interesting case in point was driving my buddy's '89 Chevy Monte Carlo there. That thing was so huge and didn't have working seat adjusters....so with my little 5'7" frame, I was in so low that I sometimes only saw the road through the top half of the wheel! hehe... I almost always drive one-handed with my left hand on the gear lever here, what with the constant gear changes in the city. Except when making long turns where I'll get both hands on the wheel. This was not so when I first started driving though - both hands clutching the wheel like it was dear life itself!! __________________ The Edge...the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over. - Hunter S. Thompson

25th January 2007, 12:56	#14 (permalink)
scooby05 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: mumbai Posts: 560	Feel right hand at 2, and left hand at 8 is the best position for RHD cars. Seat height definitely, so you see over the steering wheel and possibly should also be able to see the front fender ends. back rest reclining should be 100/120 degrees to seat base, depending on size of person and comfort level to support the thighs fully to the seat.

25th January 2007, 13:10	#15 (permalink)
iraghava Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bhaiyyaland Posts: 7,335 View My Garage	My preferred position when i'm concentrating on my driving is 10 to 2 with the seatback upright & the seat pulled back to the location where my left leg can depress the clutch fully without stretching it completely. Also the straight seat-back helps with my back condition a lot. __________________ There is a very fine line between "Hobby" and "Mental Illness".

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Steering wheel grip position	chanapli	Technical Stuff	1	23rd January 2007 08:51
Driving Position of Cars	herculesksp	The Indian Car Scene!!	9	24th October 2006 02:20
Steering position	ballkey	Technical Stuff	62	1st October 2006 21:44
Steering Position?	BUSA	Technical Stuff	8	6th March 2006 11:36