Car driving is an unusual activity as far as our bodies are concerned. The driver’s position is not a natural one and the longer the drive, the higher the likelihood of the body tensing up and creating pain.
The correct posture when in the driver’s seat is critical as well as driving safely. Many drivers do not position themselves correctly in their cars and, therefore, seriously lack control and comfort while steering the vehicle. A good driving position can actually help prevent accidents, improve safety should an accident occur, and enhance driving comfort.
The following provides some ways to ease the tension and make the driving experience a little more pleasant.
1. Distance from steering wheel:
It is important to maintain the right distance from the steering wheel because in case of an accident it may hit our chest or even the wind screen may break and hit our face. And if we sit too far we may not be able to see or drive properly.
2. Adjust seat distance.
The seat should always be positioned with regard to the pedals. Press the brake pedal fully with your right foot and fully depress the clutch (in a manual transmission car) or dead pedal (in an automatic). The distance should be adjusted so that with fully depressed pedals, your knees remain slightly bent.
3. Fix the back support.
Make sure you sit straight and that your buttocks and back are square and completely squeezed into the seat. Some drivers’ seats cause your body to sit at a flexed angle that is not a usual posture stance. The sagging of your lower back into the car seat will inevitably cause pain from the lack of support, so it is important to remedy this. Add a small back support cushion; your core muscles will not have to do so much work to keep you in place. This helps to avoid backaches, possible back injuries and maintain awareness during long drives.
4. Adjust the head rest
It is very important that your head rest is comfortable as this will help to minimise back pain.
5. Do not tilt your head to see in the rear vision mirror.
If you are constantly tilting, this will result in muscle and lower back tension. Sit in a position where it is only your eyes that have to move and not your head.
6. Practice differential relaxation.
There are parts of your body that have little choice but to keep working while driving. Differential relaxation places focus on relaxing those muscles not being used while you are driving. For example, while your neck and shoulders do not actually do the driving, they often end up being a source of pain from driving in one position repeatedly. Remember to keep your neck, shoulders, non-working leg, etc. relaxed as other parts work.
7. Keep your eyes at the same level.
As the day progresses, many people find themselves slumping through tiredness. Rather than stretching back to your proper posture, the temptation is to slouch and adjust the mirrors to suit the lower positioning of your eyes. Instead, aim to leave the mirrors alone and keep your eyes at the same level no matter the time of day. This will force you to maintain the straighter posture throughout the day.
8. Adjust the seating when visibility is poor.
Rather than straining forward to see out of the window during rain, fog it is far better to remain seated properly as usual and to simply move the seat forward a little to help you see better.
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