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-   -   10-2 steering position? Nope, it's 9-3 for Airbag-equipped cars (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-safety/156848-10-2-steering-position-nope-its-9-3-airbag-equipped-cars.html)

I was facing aches in the upper arms triceps area as I was constantly holding my Civic's steering at the 10 and 2 position. I decided to google a bit for tips on adjusting the seating and steering wheel position and found this interesting article.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/trans...ng-3453234.php

It advocates the use of the 9 3 position instead of the old 10 2 position as modern cars come equipped with air bags. If the steering is held in the 10 2 position and in case of air bag deployment the drivers hands would come in the way of air bags and can get flung around. The Civic has a driver air bag equipped with it and I guess I was holding the steering the wrong way. Since more and more Indian cars are coming equipped with air bags as standard I would advise fellow BHPians to use the 9 3 position


Note to mods : Please move/merge this topic wherever suitable.

I agree with this topic here as I find it difficult to hold the steering at 10-2 position. I do follow 9-3 mostly but due to traffic conditions, left hand is mostly on the lever but the right hand sits at 3 position.

When I hold it by the 10-2 position, it feels I'm carrying some kind of load on my arms thereby feeling strained. This feel isn't there in the 9-3 position.

Anurag.

I drive holding the steering with my hands slightly lower than the 9 - 3 position. Holding the steering at this position, I manage to rest my elbows on the arm rests in the door & centre.

It may not be technically correct but works well for me :)

Actually, Driver's Ed in many jurisdictions is shifting to the 9-3 or 8-4 positions. 10-2 made sense before power steering systems were introduced to maximise the leverage while turning the steering wheel. 9-3 or 8-4 are better from an air bag deployment perspective and also adequate to safely control modern cars with strong power assist in the steering systems. Of course, it takes getting used to - people like me who learnt to drive on Premier Padminis will find it tough to overcome the old 10-2 habit.

Useful - and encouraging to know what I'm doing (generally) is recommended.:) I set the steering wheel right to the bottom (of the tilt position) - find it most comfortable. This way I am usually at the 9 - 3 position.

Thanks.

I find 8-3 position most comfortable and also does not get in the way of a potential airbag depolyment.

Yes even I have observed that 10-2 position is a pain to your hands, especially for tall people like me and it is difficult to hold in that position for a long time. IMO the best comfortable position is 9-3 where I can rest my elbows on the door arm rest and my left hand would be on the gear lever and is a comfortable position till now for me.

Its already 9:3 for me. Earlier in the non airbags version Safari TCIC I used to keep left hand on gear and right hand at 12 most of the time. Odd but very comfortable in a semi truck like steering angle.

Well, it's depends on the speed. When in traffic and moving bumper to bumper, my right hand is at 3 and left hovering over the shifter. Sometimes it is 4 and shifter. As the speed increases, my hands return to 9 and 3. Anything above 80kmph is definitely 9 and 3.

Don't think I ever used 10 and 2; maybe when I used to drive an Ambassador, two decades back :D

+1 - In traffic, it is always 9 - 3 or Lever - 3 for me. Occasionally, this shifts to 9 - 4 or Lever - 4, but on highways, it is always either 9 - 3 or 9 - 4.

Have never tried 10 - 2, but used to do 8 - 2 and 10 - 4 earlier on non power steering cars.

PS: Tried couple of times to emulate how Brian holds the steering of his Skyline GT-R34, but never found it comfortable - seems like it works only in movies lol:

--Anoop

Well - 10-2 is the natural position for me too, but off late I have been consciously trying to change to 9-3.

At my home, I drive (on my Logitech G27) 9-3, as that way is best suited for the flappy paddle shifters.

On a lighter note - how 'bout the gangsta lean lol:

I fail to understand how a 10-2 position would block the deploying airbag. Though the palm holds the steering wheel, won't the arms be on the same line or even outside the circumference of the steering wheel? And considering that the air bag is housed inside the center horn pad, won't the airbag deploy 'between' the hands?

If the theory of "10-2 hand position coming in the way of deploying airbag" is really true, won't the manufacturers come up with a warning label to avoid lawsuits at least in western countries (Just like the 'no child seat in front seat' warning for airbags)?

Mine is gearlever - 3 on traffic and 12 - 3 on highways. Though it may seem like an uncomfortable position on the first look, it is very comfortable for me with left hand resting on 12. Please note: mine is non-airbag version.

Never ever used the 10 - 2 position myself. It felt odd, particularly in city drives.

Good to see so many of you agreeing here.

I have never used a 10-2 position. Within city, more often than not, the left hand is always on the gear level, and the right hand is sometimes at 12, sometimes at 3 and sometimes at 6. Highway drives, left hand on the arm rest for sometime and right hand at 3 with the elbow on the door pad, pretty comfortable but not recommended for longer durations.