How to adjust the driver's seat in the car?

Not all drivers know which position is right while driving. An incorrectly adjusted seat has a serious effect on both comfort and driving. A comfortable driving position can increase driver comfort, in addition, helps prevent accidents or, in the event of an accident, reduces the risk of serious injury. In this article we will look at how to properly configure the seat in the car.

to contents ↑

Basic rules

In order to properly configure the driver's seat in the car, several parameters must be taken into account.

Dress correctly

When steering the driver should choose the right clothes:

• the coat interferes with proper driving, seat belt use and seat adjustment;
• clothing should not interfere with the driver and restrict the movement of both arms and legs;
• slippers are categorically not suitable for driving;
• shoes should be comfortable for depressing the pedal and fit the leg tightly;
• do not use high-heeled shoes - it is not convenient to press the pedal in it;
• boots with dirty or thick soles are not suitable for driving;
• the most ideal option are shoes on a strong and thin sole;
• in the summer, the driver should be in breeches to the knees, which can be worn on top of a swimsuit or shorts.

Take the right position in the driver's seat

Consider which position in the driver's seat is correct. It is necessary to sit evenly, while the back and buttocks should be firmly pressed to the seat. In this position, you will be able to avoid back pain, you will not be overtaken by spinal injuries and you will also have a better view of the road.

The seat is adjustable with respect to the pedals

How to properly adjust the driver's seat:

• If your car has a manual transmission, then with the right foot we press the brake pedal to the stop, while fully squeezing the clutch. In the presence of an automatic transmission, press the left pedal.
• We adjust the seat, while at the moment the pedals are pressed to a steady state, the driver’s knees should remain slightly bent and be about 120 degrees.
• For proper seat adjustment, we start the engine, and at the same time we press the brakes several times, thus creating pressure.
• If you have straightened knees, then you are sitting very far away. And if your knees are bent at 90 degrees, then you are too close to the steering wheel of the driver.

Important! If the legs are fully extended, the knee activity is blocked. This situation does not allow you to feel the pedal. In addition, to press the pedal, you need to put a lot more effort, because there is a disappearance of the lever strength, which serves as a knee. This situation increases the risk of serious foot injuries. In an emergency, at the time of the collision, the straightened legs can break, and the bent legs can form, after which the leg bones cause damage to the pelvis and lower part of the spine. If the car driver is very close to the steering wheel and the legs are too bent at about an angle of about 100 degrees, blood circulation is disturbed and the spine of the body undergoes changes.

• The hips should be placed so that the driver is comfortable in the car. In small cars, the center console can be the fulcrum for the right knee, and the left knee can rest on the door.
• Heels need to rest on the floor, and pedals should be pressed with socks. The right foot should be under the brake pedal, but it should reach the gas pedal. So - you have to press the gas pedal at an angle.
• At the moment the left foot is not involved in the clutch squeezing procedure, this foot is on the left resting pedal. If you have an automatic transmission, then the left leg is always on this pedal.

Adjust seat tilt

How to adjust the driver's seat? When adjusting the driver's seat, make sure that the angle of inclination approaches a straight line. Optionally, and it is impossible to perfectly adjust the position of the workplace, but an angle corresponding to 95-110 degrees will be most preferable:

• If the seat angle corresponds to a straight line, then a load is created on the lower back and the head is too high. In addition, the steering wheel can also be adjusted. The seat leans back slightly, after which the steering wheel is adjusted so that it is parallel to the back.
• You can check the correct seat adjustment. To do this, put the wrist on the upper part of the steering wheel. If you manage to bend your palm behind the wheel and do not tear the blades from the seat, then the position is correct. The arm should be in an unbent state, but not fully extended.
• If you cannot reach the upper part of the steering wheel with your wrist and the lower part of the palm is touching or your shoulder blades are torn off the seat, this indicates that you are sitting far from the steering wheel. In this position, you have to reach forward to hold the steering wheel.
• When you touch the steering wheel with your wrist with a bent arm or forearm, you are sitting close to the steering wheel.

Important! In the presence of a horizontal steering wheel, this applies more to trucks, there is practically no possibility of checking the correct position using the above methods. In this case, you need to take the far side of the steering wheel with your hand, while the elbow should not be fully extended, and the shoulder blades should not be torn off the seat.

Adjust steering wheel height

The steering wheel should be adjusted so that it is parallel to the back of the seat and does not interfere with the view of the dashboard. In an ideal position, the driver needs to hold the steering wheel at the points corresponding to the numbers 3 and 9 on the watch dial, while the palms should be slightly lower than the shoulders.

Adjust the distance to the steering wheel

When adjusting the rudder along the length, it is required to establish a distance at which the elbows should be bent at an angle of 120 degrees. Between the chest and the center of the steering wheel, a minimum clearance of about 30 cm, but not more than 45 cm, should be observed.

Adjust seat height

How to adjust the driver's seat height?

• The height of the seat should correspond to a position in which, without bending, the road is clearly visible and the instrument panel has a good overview. With respect to the pedals and steering wheel, the seat height must be correct.
• In many cars, the gap between the roof and the head corresponds to the width of the palm - these are five fingers. If you have a convertible or a car with a high roof, then the seat height must be adjusted so that the driver’s eyes are approximately opposite the center point of the windshield, while the lowered visor should not interfere with the view of the road.
• After you have adjusted the seat height, you need to check the position of the legs and feet again in order to comply with the recommendations described above.

Adjust the headrest

The location of the head restraint should be at the level of the eyelids, while it should be at a distance of 2-3 cm from the head.If the head restraint is placed at a distance of more than 7 cm, the risk of serious injury increases with a sudden sudden movement of the head. When the car is moving, the driver's head should be tilted forward slightly.

Important! If the headrest is not able to extend high enough, then this problem can be compensated by increasing its angle of inclination.

Additional functions

If necessary, you can use additional adjustment functions:

• Support for the hip joints. Pressure distribution should occur along the entire length of the back. If there are problems with the lower back, drivers can use towel-rolled towels.
• On the seat cushions there are lateral support protrusions. Thanks to them, maximum support for the pelvis is provided, while the possibility of pressing the pedals is not limited.
• There is front support at the base of the seat, thanks to which the hips fit snugly against the seat. Having too much support creates excessive pressure under the knees, which interferes with emergency braking.
• By adjusting the pedals, a comfortable state and proper pedal contact with the feet is ensured. The calcaneal part on the right foot should confidently rest against the floor where the brake pedal is located, while the foot should be on the brake pedal with a slight deviation to the right. If you press the gas pedal without lifting the heels off the floor, the knee becomes bent at approximately an angle of 100 degrees.

Hold the wheel right

When the car is moving, the driver must completely grasp the steering wheel:

• You need to hold the steering wheel not only with your thumbs and palms, but with all your fingers. Do not tightly squeeze the steering wheel or relax - in this position you will not quickly get tired and will not lose control over the controls.
• The steering wheel should be held with both hands. If you control with only one hand, then the shoulder muscles strain and your spine bends, especially when you have to hold only the upper part of the steering wheel.

Fasten your seat belt correctly

How to adjust the driver's seat in the car and fasten your seat belt:

• The waist belt must be tightly pulled through the waist. He should be pressed as tightly as possible not to the stomach, but to the pelvic joints.
• The shoulder strap must be height adjustable. It must be fixed above the acromion above the shoulder joint, that is, between the arm and neck in the middle of the shoulder.
• If the belt is located above the collarbone in the immediate vicinity of the neck, a collarbone fracture or neck cut may occur.
• If the belt is pulled too low, under the armpit or on the shoulder itself, then it will not be able to support the body reliably enough, and in emergency situations it can leave serious cuts on the hand.
• During the movement of the car, all passengers must have seat belts, which should be fastened, children at this time should be in child seats. In addition, there are special belts for animal insurance.

There are some rules for passengers when moving a car, the convenience of which should be taken care of:

• Convenient location from the dashboard.
• Window adjustment.
• Headrest adjustment.
• The correct location with regard to airbags - for example, it is not permissible for passengers to be above the airbags and their arms opposite the safe curtains or side airbags.
• The correct tilt angle and location of the seat - the passenger must rest his entire back against the back of the seat while moving, should not be in a lying position so that in an emergency situation he does not “dive” under the seat belt.

Important! When traveling, it is dangerous for passengers to sleep. The navigator in the front seat should be awake, helping the driver to follow the route.In addition, if the passenger is sleeping, then at the time of the collision there is a danger of causing acute abdominal injuries.

• According to the degree of safety, the seats in the car differ from each other: the safest is the central rear seat, the second place is the seat that is located behind the front passenger, then the place is located behind the driver and the last passenger is the front passenger seat. The most dangerous thing is the driver’s seat.

Check out the review

How to adjust to adjust the driver's seat? When moving the car, the eyes should be opposite the center point of the windshield. The eyes should be in a relaxed state, by no means focused, and you should look not down, but forward. In this case, you can see the whole road far ahead, while there is the possibility of triggering peripheral vision.

Important! Mirrors should be adjusted so as to observe everything that happens behind and from the side.

to contents ↑

Placement of things

In the car, try to put things on the floor or in the passenger seat. Do not place objects near the driver's seat, as they can fall and roll under the pedals when driving. Here are a few more rules:

• Do not use items that are not included in the vehicle equipment. So, it is undesirable to use a convex mirror, which is placed behind the car, use a cover for the car and hang various objects on the rear mirror. All this increases the danger.
• Do not open the windows halfway, as they must be completely closed or completely open. Otherwise, a serious head injury may occur in a collision. For fresh air to enter, the front window must always be ajar.
• With the windows open, the resistance increases, which means that at high speed the fuel consumption increases, so it is more advisable to open no more than one or two windows.
• When driving over rough terrain, it is best to close or open the windows so that the window sleeves do not swing.
• All side lights, headlights, windows must be in a clean condition.

to contents ↑

Rear view mirrors

Rearview mirrors should be adjusted to increase visibility and minimize overlap. You should not set up an internal rear-view mirror to view the rear seats in the passenger compartment, and do not install wide-angle convex mirrors.

Important! When moving the car, it is strictly forbidden to seat children in the front seat, even if there are child seats and airbags.

to contents ↑

Air conditioning

To ensure a comfortable atmosphere in the cabin and not to fog up the windows, you must turn on the air conditioning. For the winter, the stove is more suitable, since it is not very convenient to sit in insulated clothing in the cabin. It interferes with the seat belt and driving. One window should always be kept ajar: in the summer - for oxygen intake, and in the winter - for cool fresh air.

The air conditioner is very effective because it circulates more air. The use of an air conditioner also helps remove odors.

Important! A few minutes before turning off the engine, you must close the openings of the air conditioner, and the air conditioner itself must be turned on. A similar procedure helps to clean the air channels of the device. In hot weather, before you sit in the car, you must turn on the air conditioner at full power to refresh the atmosphere.

to contents ↑

Advice:

• It’s not immediately possible to get used to the correct position. If you follow the above recommendations, then comfort, control and safety will improve. You will be able to carry out long trips, while you will not get tired and suffer from pain. In addition, your control over the road will increase.With an accident, your risk of damage is much lower.
• Since the nineties of the last century, seat belts and seats have gained a new level, thereby increasing safety and comfort at the time of fast and long movement in a car.
• When you hold onto the steering wheel, you don’t need to bend your thumbs inward, because at the moment of collision the front wheels can turn, while the steering wheel will also turn, as a result of which your fingers may break.
• When the driver is in the right position, the interior of the car increases, and your car becomes much more spacious.

to contents ↑

Warnings

If the driver’s seat in the car is very far from the steering wheel, the following situations may occur:

• Belated driver reaction. Since the seat is located far from the steering wheel, the driver has limited visibility, and all the events on the road seem too far away. With such a deception, perception is distorted and at the time of danger the driver leans forward, increasing the reaction time.
• Comfort. Only in the case of traveling on the ideal autobahn, a recumbent driving position will be comfortable for you. Ordinary roads do not allow to be in this condition.
• Overview. If the driver's seat is located close to or too far from the steering wheel, the correct viewing of the road is impaired.
• Some drivers, in order to avoid the impact of the airbag, position the seat too far, while holding on to the lower part of the steering wheel. Airbags only deploy when the seat is too close, the driver holds high behind the wheel - at the points where the numbers 11 and 1 are.
• If the seat is too close, the view of the road is reduced, it becomes more difficult to control the steering wheel, and you can get injured when you hit the steering wheel.
• The most dangerous option is to lean back. At the time of the accident, the driver receives severe injuries to the back, legs, shoulders, arms, pelvis, neck and viscera, since the headrest, backrest, seat belts and airbags in this case become ineffective.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

As you can see, the convenience and safety of driving depends on many factors. In this article we told you about all the important points regarding how to properly configure the driver's seat in the car, steering wheel and other controls. Do the right thing - adjust everything initially!