I’ve given this series its rather ominous title to make the point that our relationship to the vehicle is one of mastery over a sometimes wildly uncontrollable monster. Not that we have to be afraid of it, we just need to learn how it behaves and to respect its potential for endangering our lives. Okay, climb into the driver’s seat and let’s look around.
Now that you’re settled in your seat let’s make some adjustments.
Finding a good driving position is a matter of personal preference, but there are some important considerations. For driving long distances you’ll find it more comfortable to position the seat so that the backs of your thighs are supported and your back, both lumbar and shoulder regions, are in contact with the seat back. Depending on the vehicle and your physical size, this may require supplemental seat padding. If you plan on driving a lot don’t skimp on this.
When you're properly seated, position yourself relative to the steering wheel and the pedals; this may also require some supplements particularly for the pedals. Your hands should comfortably attach to the wheel at a point midway up each side. This is the “quarter to three” position, for those of you who still remember what an analog clock looks like. Your elbows should be relaxed, a little away from your sides. I have too often seen drivers with both hands atop the wheel and elbows almost, or actually, touching it. Stop and think about this for a moment. One’s body must be perilously close to said wheel in order to accomplish this. Not good. Also, with hands in this position, an impact that deploys the airbag will drive both arms back into the driver’s face probably breaking some arm bones in the transition. Some people drive hunched over the steering wheel with their knees almost touching the steering column, I can pretty much guarantee they become fatigued after relatively short distances. Moral: a fetal position is not the best driving position.
Going back to your hands: keep your thumbs on the up side of the steering wheel, not wrapped around it. With power assisted steering this is not as big an issue, but if something happens to the front end of your vehicle that yanks the steering mechanism hard left or right, a wrapped thumb could be sprained or broken by the crossbar. Now that you and the steering wheel are acquainted, the mirrors are next.
There's lots of talk about blind spots when you drive, there's even a hokey ad on TV (I won't bore you with the details), but I believe most vehicles do not have a blind spot if your peripheral vision is normal and your mirrors are properly adjusted.
The outside mirrors should be positioned so that an approaching vehicle appears in your peripheral vision as it disappears from the mirror. This means that, from your normal driving position, you cannot see the sides of your own car in the mirror. This adjustment takes time but it’s important. For the passenger’s side mirror, lean over till your head is right near the passenger seat and adjust the mirror so that you can just barely see that side of the car. Now lean to the left till your head touches the window (you can wipe the skin oil off later) and adjust that mirror so that you can barely see the side of the car. That will give you a good starting point. For the interior mirror, adjust it so that it points a bit toward the passenger’s side of the rear windows.
Once the interior and exterior mirrors, are properly positioned, a vehicle will appear in the side mirror just as it disappears from the interior mirror. It will appear in your peripheral vision just as it disappears from the side mirror. You can fine tune the mirrors on the highway.
Last, and perhaps most important, Buckle your seat belt. SRS on the air bag systems means Supplement Restraint System, not Sole Restraint System. If you think it's foolish or too much trouble to buckle up, you don't need to be reading this blog.
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