You're Driving All Wrong, Says NHTSA 756
antdude writes "This MSNBC Bottom Line story/article says that 'If you're a conscientious motorist who still does everything the way your driver's-ed instructor told you to, you're doing it all wrong. For decades, the standard instruction was that drivers should hold the steering wheel at the 10 and 2 positions, as envisioned on a clock. This, it turns out, is no longer the case. In fact, driving that way could cost you your arms or hands in particularly gruesome ways if your airbag deploys. Instead AAA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and many driving instructors now say you should grip the wheel at 9 and 3 o'clock. A few go even further, suggesting 8 and 4 to avoid the airbag mechanism as much as possible, but what formal research has been published on the varieties of hand positions suggests that this may lessen your control of the car.'" I usually hold even lower on the wheel, perhaps 4:30 and 7:30, but I also drive with my seat pushed farther forward than most people like. Drivers, what's your approach?
Re:One hand, 12 o'clock ... (Score:5, Informative)
Fortunately, there wasn't too much damage to my hand, but a decade later, the scar on the back of my hand is still evident.
I no longer drive with a hand at the 12:00 position. It's 3:00 and 9:00 for me.
Re:How i drive (Score:3, Informative)
Left hand on the gear stick? You sit facing backwards?!
Oh, wait, you said "real world"... where roundabouts rotate clockwise... :-D
Don't honk the horn (Score:4, Informative)
My wife was honking the horn as she hit a lady who had for some reason decided to stop while crossing a highway to tend her grandchild, at night, in the rain. Compound fracture of the arm was the result. Out of work for three months. Never honk the horn.
Watch professional racers (Score:5, Informative)
They have their hands at 3 and 9 usually. That has the most control.
Professional crashers (yes, they exist) put their hands up at the sides of their head.
For the most control, you should sit close enough to the steering wheel that your shoulders remain against the seat. Sit upright, not leaning back. Make sure your legs are close enough that you can easily flatten the brake pedal to the floor.
Shorter-armed drivers should be careful, though. Sitting too close to an airbag is bad. 10 inches to the sternum is the minimum safe distance. Most of us drive easily farther away than that.
Re:Mainly a US problem? (Score:5, Informative)
Sad attempt at a sideways dig at the US, but it is the law in 49 out of the 50 states. [ghsa.org] In 32 states, it is a primary offense.
Re:How i drive (Score:3, Informative)
Left hand on the gear stick? You sit facing backwards?!
Oh, wait, you said "real world"... where roundabouts rotate clockwise... :-D
English ...you notice he drives a "coach". Here in north America most drive with our left hand at 2 and our right hand either on the iPhone or on the stick between our legs if we have an automatic and the wife isn't next to use to work the stick instead. This is why most that have automatic transmissions also have a box of kleenex in the glove compartment.
Re: 8 and 4 (Score:5, Informative)
Pro race drivers dont wrap their thumbs around the wheel. Nor do amateur ones like me. Race drivers have the risk of being in a collision that can snap the wheel around breaking your thumbs.
Re:"Drivers, what's your approach?" (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Don't honk the horn (Score:5, Informative)
Re: 8 and 4 (Score:3, Informative)
Works for 4x4s, too.
I avoid wrapping my thumbs around the steering wheel, even though the steering in my car can't kick back no matter what the road wheels hit, since there isn't really a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the rack. It's all hydraulic, and much quicker and lighter than most clunky power steering systems.
Re:Mainly a US problem? (Score:2, Informative)
And yet your laws still require protection for unbelted people:
"FMVSS 208 continues to require that bags be engineered and calibrated to be able to "save" the life of an unbelted 50th-percentile size and weight "male" crash test dummy"
"ECE airbags are generally smaller and inflate less forcefully than U.S. airbags, because the ECE specifications are based on belted crash test dummies."
(quotes from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbag )
Re:One hand, 12 o'clock ... (Score:4, Informative)
I was in an airbag-deploying accident about a year ago, and ended up with some pretty good bruises / rashes on my arms. I think I was at 10 and 2, roughly.
In the "ideal" case where you hit something and your hands remain at the 9 and 3 positions, this would be great. But I'm willing to wager that for most accidents, there is at least 0.2 seconds of [unprintable], in which case you will try to swerve out of the way. In this case, as was the case for me, your hands and arms will inevitably be right in front of the airbag, since you're twisting the wheel in an effort to go around whatever it is in front of you. The airbag goes off and your arms get pinned between the airbag and your chest ... or worse.
So, I applaud the intent to keep your arms and hands out of the way with the 9 and 3 o'clock positions, but I just don't think it will do any good in most real-world situations.
Re:When Danica crashed (Score:5, Informative)
Here's the Danica Patrick video with her putting her hands on her helmet prior to impact. [youtube.com]
Re:One hand, 12 o'clock ... (Score:4, Informative)
An optimal airbag deployment will help the seat+belt keep your deceleration at bay providing a front damper in addition to the slowly peeling away seat you are nailed to by the fired seatbelt loads. Extremities like your hands might not necessarily be better of and your face might feel as if you just got bashed with an iron girder but your organs will smile at you.
So yes there is serious merit in the airbag thing. Also, if you don't make it I'll get your spline in tact.
Re:I disable my airbag (Score:4, Informative)
That's a particularly American problem. I remember seeing something on TV in Canada about this ten years ago. They were talking about this issue and how it was negatively impacting Canadians. I think seat belt compliance was at about 65% in the US, and 98% in Canada. Compliance in most of the big western European countries is almost complete too.
Re:One hand, 12 o'clock ... (Score:5, Informative)
Well there go my mod points. The Mustang II was based on the Pinto chassis. Search for exploding.
Re:One hand, 12 o'clock ... (Score:5, Informative)
USA: FMVSS 208 requires that air-bags be engineered and calibrated to be able to "save" the life of an unbelted 50th-percentile size and weight "male" crash test dummy.
European ECE airbags are generally smaller and inflate less forcefully than U.S. airbags, because the ECE specifications are based on belted crash test dummies
Basically the law says you should belt up in both, but the safety standards in the USA assume you won't be ...