[madhav14]

I generally use 8-4 or 9-3 positions. On long drives, I feel that 8-4 position is less fatiguing of all the positions. These days I've been seeing people leaving the old 10-2 position and recommending 9-3 position for firmer grip and control on the wheel.

Even in the Audi Drive experience program that I've attended in the Buddh International circuit, the racing instructor advised us to use the 9-3 position.

[D4D]

I drive a Getz and an Innova.
Getz has a 3 spoke wheel and the Innova(V version) has a 4 spoke steering wheel.
In the city, I mainly use 4-8 or 5-7 position while driving. I drive in a relaxed manner in the city, so just let the hands relax.

But on highways(mostly in the Innova), left hand rests and the right hand is at 3 position unless an gap for overtake occurs. In that case, 9-3 position it is.

Found this comfortable and easy to use.
Best part, both cars have heavy steerings for the city. Getz has a HPS and the Innova has an EPS, but is heavy in the city and a joy on the highway.

[falconion]

The XUV500's steering wheel has thumb placements at 3 and 9 position.

The thumbs fit snugly and provide a good grip.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

3. We were also taught to 'feed' the steering wheel from one grip to another while making a turn, releasing the grip on one hand and letting the wheel slide through, reestablishing grip while the other palm was released to slide back to its original position. This was due to the fact that the number of turns required to turn the wheels was large - usually >4 turns from lock to lock. Crossing the arms while turning the steering wheel was a strict no-no.

Doing the opposite (ie not feeding the wheel from grip to grip) to me seems both normal and advantageous. And have done that right from day one. One important advantage is that one knows the 'wheels straight ahead' position instinctively. Useful when coming out of a drift.

Also know will flunk a driving test in UK/ US etc! (Airbag deployment apparently makes arms crossed over the steering boss a failing mistake now).

Regards
Sutripta

[Car-go-man]

Thanks for the post.

I tend to follow 9 and 3 for two reasons-

1. At position 3, my right hand can rest on the driver's arm rest.
2. It's easier to honk in this position

On long drives, I tend to use 5 & 7 (call me lazy), but when I need to be watchful my hands naturally take the 10 and 2 position. So basically I feel, depending on the driving conditions and the duration, your hands- in a given time frame- would probably be all over the steering wheel

[VLOCT]

The main reason 9-3 should be used in a modern car is 'maneuverability', period. There is no other position on the steering that will allow you to maneuver a car to the largest extent of steering movement on a winding road, 'without taking the hands of the wheel'. Check it out. That's the reason race driver 'only use this position'.

In straight line driving, a 'firm grip' on the steering wheel is all you need, at any speeds and that would be, any position 9-3 and above. Any position below the half line is definitely not recommended at any speeds, due to the above reason.

[Octane_Power]

Right since the 1st day I drove a car, it has always been the 10-2 position for me. However, need to try the 9-3 position now.

Also, it is quite startling to learn that so many BHP'ians are handling the steering in such innovative wrong ways. 8-4, 5-7 and what not! Please stop being so care-free guys, it is natural for complacence to develop in one's behavior after driving for thousands of KMs, thinking that nothing happens however you hold the steering, but that though process is so so wrong.

Just try making a tricky maneuver with those lousy steering positions and you will understand why it is necessary to have a good control of the steering at any point of time while driving. And if you think, you would be able to move your hands to the correct position in case of an emergency, then remember this, it takes a split second for things to turn ugly and you won't even have the time to move your hands from the lazy position to the correct position and damage would be done!

So please, for your safety as well as for the safety of others please refrain from using such steering positions. You might look 'cool', but what do you want, some temporary "coolness" or the much more important "safety" factor?

-Bhargav

[sswaroop]

I usually use a 1 or 11 position with right or left hand respectively while cruising on highway with one hand resting. In the city it is mostly 3 and lever or 3 and 9 but not gripping the wheel. I have found prolonged gripping of the steering in the 3-9 position hurts the webbing between my thumb and index finger.

Also 3-9 position helps with the honking aspect required in cities in Bangalore.

Never went to a driving school to learn, but DMV people at least in Texas DPS were pretty stringent about 10-2 position and especially harsh on single hand driving amongst other things. I doubt if it actually impedes the air bag from deploying. Like others have said there would definitely be a warning which there isn't in the manuals.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Also know will flunk a driving test in UK/ US etc! (Airbag deployment apparently makes arms crossed over the steering boss a failing mistake now).

Crossing both arms across the steering was always faulted, even in the pre-airbag era (apparently, one could tie oneself into a knot and end up losing grip on the steering wheel with both hands).

However, in the interest of retaining constant grip on the steering wheel, one arm crossing over the 12 o'clock position (say, from 3 o'clock to 7 o'clock when making a left turn) is accepted by driving instructors / testers in most countries. What most get very upset about is using the auto-return/self-centering feature of the steering to allow the wheel to come back to the straight ahead position.

[carpacman]

My preference with my Honda's City is the 3 o'clock with the left hand on the stick, especially while driving in the city limits. I tend to use 9-3 position while driving in the ghats or on winding roads.

[marsbhp]

Yep . Always 9-3 for me. 10-2 never really felt comfortable and I gave up a long time ago trying to use that configuration. In fact, like many others here, in traffic, it is more of lever-3.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by carpacman

My preference with my Honda's City is the 3 o'clock with the left hand on the stick, especially while driving in the city limits.

So how do you execute a right turn in the city?

[carpacman]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

So how do you execute a right turn in the city?

Well, thats why I call it a preference, doesn't mean that I don't use both hands ever within city limits

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Crossing both arms across the steering was always faulted, even in the pre-airbag era (apparently, one could tie oneself into a knot and end up losing grip on the steering wheel with both hands).

However, in the interest of retaining constant grip on the steering wheel, one arm crossing over the 12 o'clock position (say, from 3 o'clock to 7 o'clock when making a left turn) is accepted by driving instructors / testers in most countries. What most get very upset about is using the auto-return/self-centering feature of the steering to allow the wheel to come back to the straight ahead position.

Should have mentioned that I keep my right hand on the wheel. If I'm about to get my (hands) in a twist, I let go the left. (One hand on the wheel - horror of horrors!)

Reason for keeping one hand in a known position is so that one does not have to rely on the vehicles self centering.

Regards
Sutripta

[Joe M]

I use 9-3 80-90% of the time.
Here's a good article about holding the steering, though it's focussed on track driving. I read it some 5-6 yrs back, and have those things in mind ever since.

http://www.turnfast.com/tech_driving/driving_steering