Your Seat
A comfortable seat isn’t just significant to how you drive your car but is also a call you’ll have to make as far as body support is concerned. According to your body type, choose an appropriate seat with the option of various settings that will enable you to find and support your ideal adjustment. The seat should move easily up and down as well as forwards and backwards. The option to adjust heighth can be advantageous for both short and tall drivers. A good rule of thumb is to have the contours of the seat fit the contours of the body from thighs to shoulders, avoiding compressions and ridges. Flexible lumbar support is optimal as each driver is made differently and may require those adjustments frequently.
Next issue? Armrests and headrests. It’s important to ensure that the arms and elbows rest comfortably and evenly on the armrests. The headrest should be able to be adjusted in such a way that your head is protected and supported well in the event of a rear-end collision. At minimum, the top of the rest should lay evenly with the tops of the ears.
So we’ve discussed the importance of seat support and adjustments but equally important, if not more so, are the position of seat belts across the body. To begin with, make sure your belt is easily accessible. A seat belt should fit comfortably and accurately across the shoulder, chest, and hips. Under normal driving conditions, your belt should allow you to move freely and without constriction.
The Steering Wheel
Several adjustments may be made to a steering wheel to accommodate your individual needs. Most steering wheels give you the option of moving up and down, adjusting to your individual height but many vehicles also offer the option of a telescoping design, moving the wheel toward and away from the body for your comfort. A good question to ask yourself is if the wheel itself feels comfortable in the hands. Also, it’s important that the horn can be easily used in case of emergency. Take note of all functioning buttons on the wheel head as these can make it simpler to carry out ordinary tasks without compromising your line of sight.
The Driving Position
So your seat and wheel pass inspection, it’s time to evaluate your position. Access to the pedals should feel comfortable but should be no less than 10 inches away from the wheel itself. This will allow the air bag enough room to deploy if it serves necessary. For those who favor the shorter side of height, consider a vehicle with adjustable pedals as they can provide a more comfortable as well as a safer driving position. Finally, access to all dashboard controls should be within eyesight and there should be adequate space between the ceiling and the top of your head.
Visibility
Your instrument panel should be clearly visible and there should be no constrictions to your line of sight in all directions. You should maintain a comfortable posture throughout. A tall dashboard, too low or too high seats, or a low roofline can restrict your vision, hindering a clear view of your environment and the cars surrounding you. Wide roof pillars can also be a dangerous hindrance by creating hazardous blind spots. When sitting, ask yourself if you are able to accurately decipher the location of your front bumper. Side mirrors should give you a clear view of oncoming traffic on both sides.
Adjustments
Head Restraint Adjustment
The top of the headrest should reach no further than the top of the ear. The rest should also sit no further back than three inches from the back of the head.
Incorrect Head Restraint Adjustment
Head restraints set too low or too far back will not properly protect the head or neck in the event of a crash. The images below show the typical movements of the head and neck when a crash occurs.
Preventing Whiplash
Not Measuring Up
Many vehicles offer head restraints that unfortunately do not meet the standards of adequate protection for average to tall passengers or no restraint is offered at all.
Rear-Crash Ratings
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (www.iihs.org) front-seat ratings or Consumer Reports’ auto-test reports for rear-seat head restraint evaluations can be valuable resources when evaluating your next car purchase.
Sitting Upright
Maintaining appropriate posture through the length of a car ride can help ensure protection of the head and neck in the event of a crash. Head restraints only work if the head and neck are parallel with the back of the rest.
Ideal Impact Position
If a crash is inevitable and you have sufficient reaction time, the attempt of leaning the head and neck into head restraint as well as looking forward can minimize the effects of whiplash.
For more information on this topic, visit our source at Consumer Reports.
click here for a helpful guide to safe seat & headrest positioning
