Important tips to consider while setting the driving position.

Road safety is not just any form of safety which can be handled with negligence. Organization needs to put a focus on every action and inaction performed.

You’ve confirmed that you’re fit to drive, done a pre-trip check, planned your route and minimized potential distractions. Take a minute to correctly set your seating position. Doing so improves your sight lines and helps you to operate the vehicle more efficiently. It also reduces driving stress and fatigue and minimizes the risks of discomfort and musculo-skeletal injuries.

Setting The seat position

One of the most important check-lists for road safety permit is setting your seat position well and excellently.

When you’re driving, you should be comfortable and able to easily reach the controls (pedals, steering wheel, levers and knobs).

In general, aim for a seating position that puts the maximum amount of your body into contact with the seat. Sit in the seat, not on it. Push the small of your back into the seat and sit as upright as possible to help stay alert and allow for good visibility.

Initial Position

– Ensure to set the seat at the lowest height; move it all the way back
– Recline the back rest about 30 to 40 degrees from vertical positions
– Tilt seats cushion so the front edge is in the lowest position; back off lumbar support adjustment
Tilt the steering wheel fully upwards and forward (away from you).

Raise the Seat

– Hips should be about level with knees.
– Ensure there’s enough clearance between your head and the roof. If you are craning your neck to see stoplights, your seat is set too high, so ensure to set it up to your height for comfortability.

Adjust for leg reach.

– Adjust the seat so you can fully depress the pedals and still have a slight bend in your right leg.

Tilt the seat Cushion

– Tilt the seat cushion up so it contacts your thighs and supports them along the length of the cushion.

– There should be at least a two-finger gap between the back of your knee and the seat.

Adjust Backrest

– Adjust the backrest so that it provides support along the length of your back.

– Try for an angle of about 100 to 110 degrees.

Adjust lumbar support

Lumbar should be supported in such a way that you feel even pressure along the length of the back cushion.
Fine tune the lumbar support so there are no gaps or pressure points.

Adjust the steering wheel.

– Pull it towards you and tilt it slightly downwards to minimize reaching.

BUILDING A ROAD SAFETY PROGRAM THAT IS FLEXIBLE

– Position the steering wheel so there is 25 – 30 cm between the centre of the steering wheel and your chest. This distance provides proper leverage and flexibility to turn the steering wheel, and allows the air bag to properly deploy with minimal risk of injuring the driver.
When you grasp the steering wheel with both hands and wrists straight, your elbows should be slightly bent and your shoulders should have a neutral posture (i.e., arms by side).

– Check for clearance: knees don’t contact the steering column or the underside of the dash when operating pedals. Make sure you have a clear view of the panel display.

While every action is very important in road safety, setting up the seat is very important and must be done with deep understanding as this will help reduce the cause of crashes and body injury to the driving employees.