[Ram]

Originally Posted by 1100D

....cars driving by themselves without a driver. Only on deeper inspection I get to see a head midway through the rear window one arm grabbing the top of the wheel and the otherone on the center armrest. Who popularised this driving style?

Very true. Many Americans have their own indolent lifestyle.
Cruisin' in near silence to the neighbourhood seven-eleven, sometimes closer than 500 m from home, in a big-block V8 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham with power everything, including power seats.

The plush leather seats would have their own fold down armrests (what the Americans call "Captain's Chairs")

And the center-console would have individual cigarette lighters, ashtrays, climate-controls and dimmers.

Besides tilt, luxury cars also had a swing-away steering wheel, so that the plump owner could get in and out with his huge embonpoint (तोँद)

Ram

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by ram

And if I might add,
the geometry of the human shoulder, elbow and wrist joints being the way it is, the driving seat position (distance between the seat squab and the steering wheel) is considered just right, when:
the bottoms of your wrists just touch the top of the steering wheel rim, with both arms outstretched.

Let me explain with a diagram.

Of course, with a tilt-wheel, a slight adjustment may also be made by unlocking, tilting and relocking the steering wheel, to achieve this wrist-wheel fit.

Ram

I am sorry but I don't agree with the hand position. The position recommended is not arms straight but in a 10-2 position.

An Analysis of the Driving Position-web

[DKG]

Talking about driving positions the whackiest I ever saw was in Dubai where many of the locals drive with their left foot on the dashboard!!! Yes Sir, that's right. Usually an auto tranny, the guys just amble along handling the foot controls with their right foot, right arm handling the steering, left arm on the door handling a cigarette or a can of Pepsi and the left foot on the dash just left of the instrument binnacle. Not to mention the seats way back and steeply inclined!! The cars are LHD's

Now there's also a hidden benefit to this. As they wear the Kandura's (gown type dress) this position directs the airconditioner left vent to other parts of the body

Its not uncommon to see a local do this in a Range Rover, Landcruisers/Lexus or any of the Mercs or BMW's

PS The scariest part is the guy will tail you on a highway driving in the above style just a foot behind your car often at speeds in excess of 150kmph. Talk about nerves and control! They do this to scare you off the highspeed lane. Their logic, why waste a honk or light flash when you can terrorize someone into moving aside!!!

[Ram]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I am sorry but I don't agree with the hand position. The position recommended is not arms straight but in a 10-2 position...

@tsk1979. Maybe you've missed the point entirely.

My post (and this thread) is about adjusting the tilt (and seat), not driving the car. I am not advocating driving the car with arms outstretched. Not by a long shot.

While adjusting the seat and tilt:
...the driving seat position (distance between the seat squab and the steering wheel) is considered just right, when:
the bottoms of your wrists just touch the top of the steering wheel rim, with both arms outstretched. ...

While driving the car:
the left hand should be flexed and the steering wheel held at 10-o-clock.
the right hand should be flexed and the steering wheel held at 2-o-clock.

Hope we're on the same page now?
Ram

[Ram]

Originally Posted by DKG

Talking about driving positions the whackiest I ever saw was in Dubai where many of the locals drive with their left foot on the dashboard!!! Yes Sir, that's right. Usually an auto tranny, the guys just amble along handling the foot controls with their right foot, right arm handling the steering, left arm on the door handling a cigarette or a can of Pepsi and the left foot on the dash just left of the instrument binnacle. Not to mention the seats way back and steeply inclined!!

Oh Heavens!
I had heard stories like this, but this perspective takes the cake.

Thanks for sharing this with us, DKG.

And there must be horrendous crashes with loss of life and limb.
The foot on the dashboard in a crash, would guarantee grievous injuries to the driver.
The protection from the airbags would be completely thwarted askew.
Wouldn't this driving posture also defeat the whole concept of anti-submarining seats?

Ram

[DKG]

Originally Posted by ram

And there must be horrendous crashes with loss of life and limb.
The foot on the dashboard in a crash, would guarantee grievous injuries to the driver.
The protection from the airbags would be completely thwarted askew.
Wouldn't this driving posture also defeat the whole concept of anti-submarining seats?

Ram

It goes without saying that such driving habits not only severly compromise the driver in a tight situation but render all main and supplemental restraint systems useless.

[Rehaan]

TSK,

As Ram said, his point is about setting up your driving position.

For readers looking for more info on where to hold the steering wheel when driving, please see this thread.

Originally Posted by ram

My post (and this thread) is about adjusting the tilt (and seat), not driving the car.

Tilt can help a little, but in some cases the car's ergonomics are so bad (or some peoples body proportions) that it is really difficult to get this position without having the backrest at an akward angle. This is where a telescopic steering column really helps. Too bad that is not standard on most cars.

cya
R