Driving Posture Support [How to Achieve a Good Driving Position]

You may already know that proper posture is essential. Still, many people tend to believe it only applies when they’re at home or the office. When they’re in a moving car, it gives them an excuse to slouch or sit however they want. 

Whether you drive for a living or once in a while, having the right driving posture is pivotal for your health and road safety. Believe it or not, the right driving position can save you from car accidents by ensuring immediate reflex. Hence, it is essential to know the best way to sit in a car.

Besides ensuring the safety of cars, the correct driving posture will also improve driving skills by helping the driver to maneuver more efficiently. Therefore, all drivers should learn how to sit properly in a car and practice it, even if they are driving for a short time.

Good posture is important because:

• It keeps bones and joints in the correct position
• It decreases the wear and tears on joints which can offset arthritis
• It decreases the strain on ligaments of the spine
• It keeps the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions
• It prevents fatigue by decreasing the amount of energy needed to correct bad posture
• It prevents muscle and back pain

Some of the consequences of poor posture in cars are as follows:

• You put more strain on the discs and vertebrae, especially when driving for long hours at a time.
• Foot cramps also result because of lousy driving posture.
• Repetitive driving injuries continue to rise.
• Long hours of driving can cause difficulty when you need to stand or even sit for other tasks.
• Poor posture of drivers is reported to cause other issues, including hand and finger cramps.
• Slouching when driving can contribute to accidents. People who have to drive for long distances feel sleepy when their backs are not straight. Holding your head up and maintaining proper driving posture can help avoid road accidents.

By following these suggestions, one can ensure the proper driving position.

Get the Right Height

Sitting right is compulsory for the correct driving position posture. For the ideal height, make sure that the eye level is 8 cm above the top of the steering wheel.

Sitting at the perfect height means drivers will be able to see the road without moving their heads in an uncomfortable position. At the same time, check if the speedometer and other instruments are visible. Be careful not to hit the roof with the head.

Support Your Back

It’s important to support your lower back when sitting. If you don’t get enough back support, you’ll be putting a lot of extra stress on soft tissue and the joints in your spine, which can cause back pain.

Slide your tailbone as close to the seat back as possible. Aim for a two- to three-finger gap between the back of your knees and the front of your seat. If your vehicle doesn’t allow for the proper position, a lumbar or back cushion may help.

Car seats usually come with lumbar support to provide support for the back. Set it (using both the front-back and up-down controls) so you feel an even pressure from your hips to your shoulders.

One can adjust its depth until it reaches the right size to fill the arch of your back. In case of the absence of lumbar support, using a lumbar pillow or even a rolled-up towel can help.

Lean Back on the Seat

Drivers should sit upright. Avoid hunching toward the steering wheel, which can lead to neck problems and increase the risk of injury if your car’s airbag is deployed. You should also avoid leaning back too far and reaching for the steering wheel, which can put extra pressure on the spine.

To encourage sitting up straight, keep your car seat at a reasonable distance from the steering wheel. Depending on your height and body type, drivers should try to keep about ten to twelve inches between the steering wheel and the breastbone.

If your steering wheel is too high or too low, use the lever on the side to adjust the wheel to the proper height.

While sitting straight is crucial, doing so at a strict 90-degree angle will make the driver feel uncomfortable within a short time. The best way to have a proper car seat position is to recline the seat to 100 to 110 degrees. Do not lean too backward as it can cause neck strain.

Be Keen with the Knee Position

In a proper driving posture, the driver’s knees have to be on the same level as their hips or higher than the hips the way you’d want to sit in a chair.

Usually, 20 to 30 degrees of an upward angle is sufficient (although for obvious reasons, your feet may not be planted flat on the floor). When you get into your car, check your knee and hip position to make sure they’re on the same level.

It will be ideal if drivers can keep at least a two-finger gap between their knees (the backside) and the seat cushion. If the back of the knees touches the seat, it will cut off the blood circulation.

Easy access to the pedals is also necessary. The heels should be on the floor in a relaxed manner while the feet balls can press the pedals. Adjust the seat so that one can fully depress the pedals without making their back leave the seat.

Pay Attention to the Distance from the Steering Wheel

Between the wheel and the chest, there should be a distance of a minimum of 30 cm. The arms should bend at around 120 degrees.

Some vehicles allow you to tilt the steering wheel and even pull it closer to your body with a telescoping steering column. Use all the options available to you to adjust the reach of your steering wheel. You want your shoulders to be back and relaxed.

The tilt can be adjusted so that your wrists remain straight. The proper position to minimize arm fatigue and maximize driving control is to hold the wheel at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions.

It is also recommended that all drivers keep their hands positioned on opposite sides of the steering wheel. This is a more comfortable and stable steering position, and it also keeps your hands clear of the airbag.

Don’t have a dominant hand that does all the driving

Make sure you try to use both hands on the wheel for safety of course.  But in reality, most people drive with one hand. 

Make sure you are not always using the same hand as that will create uneven tension coming up into your shoulders, neck, jaw, and upper back, and make it more likely your pelvis is sitting off to one side. Using one hand on your phone and the other on the wheel is dangerous for your posture along with obviously endangering every other driver and pedestrian you encounter.

Let the elbows hang down and avoid leaning on the door OR the console

The elbows are poised to create postural problems with the ribcage and neck.  When the elbows are held out to the side, the muscles at the base of the shoulder blade become stiff and can develop a holding pattern that actually prevents the shoulder blade from being able to descend on the ribcage.

This makes for lots of trap tension which is probably the number one reason people seek out massage.  Adjust your steering wheel so that the elbows can hang down with ease and try to remember during stressful driving moments to relax your elbows.

Additionally, leaning one arm on the door or console can lead to the ribcage shifting to one side.  Years of doing this will imprint the leaning ribcage into the soft tissue and can eventually begin pulling on the spine.

For some reason, people think our bodies just go back to the middle after doing things, but they don’t, especially when there is a lengthy static posture involved.

Feel even pressure on the back of the seat on both the right and left sides of the pelvis

What this means is that your hips should not be rotated with one further forward than the other.  This happens when the gas pedal is too far away, or people are fearful of sitting too close to the steering wheel in case of airbag deployment.

Regardless of the reason, the hips should not be rotated.  I am happy to report that some cars now have movable gas pedals, which can alleviate the problem.

Legroom

Slide the seat so that you can operate the pedals with just your feet. Make sure you can easily lift your feet completely off of the pedals. Sit so that your legs are not squished and your thighs are relaxed and supported.

Your knees should be slightly bent. Locking your knees reduces circulation and can make you dizzy or even pass out.

Make sure you can easily move your legs and pelvis so you can easily shift position during your commute. This will relieve pressure points and keep blood circulating during long drives. Staying in a cramped position for too long may lead to Deep Vein Thrombosis.

Headrest

The right headrest plays a vital role in preventing whiplash. Make necessary adjustments to make it rest in the middle of your head.

It will also confirm that the head is not too far forward.

Set the top of the headrest between the top of your ears and the top of your head; it should just touch the back of your head when you’re sitting comfortably. The headrest is also important in reducing whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision, says NHTSA—so important, in fact, that standards were developed for it.

Lift Your Hips

If you can, adjust your “seat pan” (the part you sit on) so that your thighs are supported along their entire length and your knees are slightly lower than your hips. This will increase circulation to your back while opening up your hips.

Do Not Hold Your Gas Pedal Leg up in the Air

The weight of the right leg should be falling down, not held up.  It is your lower back muscles that will be holding the leg up, so put it down!

Move your whole foot and leg from the gas to the brake, do NOT pivot on the heel, and use your toes on the pedal.

This may sound a little crazy, but I have met lots of folks that do this.  I don’t have a good sense of why their bodies have chosen this way of moving, but it will make the right hip VERY unhappy after years of driving this way.

Mirror Position

While fixing the mirror position, the first thing to do is to sit in the most convenient posture. Then, adjust the mirror so that you can see the traffic behind and on the side without moving your neck. Prevent neck strain by making sure your rear-view and side mirrors are properly adjusted; you should be able to see the traffic behind you without having to crane your neck.

Seat Belts

Most cars now come with three-point seat belts, which have been proven to reduce injury in the event of an accident, and some have adjustable seat belts.

When fastening your seat belt, try not to reach for it with the arm on the seat belt side as this puts your shoulder into a bad position (known as the ‘closed pack position’). Instead, reach across with the opposite arm and turn from your body, not your shoulder.

Another consideration when using your seat belt is to ensure the lap portion goes across the pelvis and not the abdomen so that the belt catches the bones of the pelvis and not your stomach and internal organs in the event of an accident.

This is especially important if you are pregnant. The upper portion of the seat belt should pass over the clavicle and sternum, not the neck or the shoulder, and never under the arm. Placing the belt over the clavicle and sternum passes stress through the bones rather than the soft tissues, helping to prevent twisting in the event of an impact.

Don’t Sit Too Close

You should be able to comfortably reach the pedals and press them through their full range with your entire foot.

Safety is also a consideration here; this study suggested that drivers whose chests were closer to the wheel were significantly more likely to suffer severe injuries to the head, neck, and chest in front- and rear-end collisions.

Do Not Forget to Take a Break

Even when you’re perfectly situated in the driver’s seat, fatigue will inevitably set in, especially when you’re driving for long periods. Listen to your body. And take periodic breaks: Park safely at a rest stop or other designated stopping area to get out of the car and stretch.

Taking a break while driving is as significant as the right driving posture. Sitting in the driving seat is similar to sitting on a chair in an office. Hence, experts suggest taking regular breaks while driving. If possible, take a break after every 20 minutes of driving.

Also, don’t drive for more than two hours at a stretch to avoid feeling stiff and other physical disorders. Regular recess with the suggested driving posture will keep the driver relaxed and comfortable. At the same time, it will prevent various physical injuries caused by road accidents.

Additional Tips to Improve Body Posture

These are some other ways to ensure a relaxed and convenient body posture while driving.

• Start from the beginning. Purchase a vehicle that suits the body dimensions. For someone who is around 6 feet 10 inches tall, a supermini car will be too small to achieve a suitable posture. Also, make sure that the seats are separately adjustable in terms of both angle and height. An adjustable steering wheel and backrest are also necessary for the right posture.
• Make sure the car allows you to maintain a comfortable position by providing enough space between the edge of the seat and the back of the knees.
• .Also, do not keep anything in your back pocket to sit comfortably.
• Sitting for long in the same posture, even if it is a good posture, will cause uneasiness. Hence, try to change driving positions often.
• Drivers need to use both hands on the steering wheel which often ends up causing To avoid that, change hand positions frequently.

With a little practice and care in your seating set-up (whether you are driving your Porsche or another car), you can develop a better driving position that leads not only to better car control but also makes for safer driving as well.

This will provide you with a quick set-up routine. You can carry this from one car to another and it only takes a minute to correctly set your position once you know what you are doing.