What can drivers do to ensure they’re in the best driving position? And how can they know buying a new model of car won’t result in a contorted spine, cricked neck or cramps in the legs?
Driving turned to the experts, seeking advice from the BCA, seat maker Recaro and Swedish car maker Volvo, which is famed for its comfortable seats. Here’s their advice for anyone who finds it difficult to get comfortable at the wheel of their car.
(N.b. Interviews conducted in 2015)
How high should your seat be when driving?
You wouldn’t set off up Everest without first lacing up your hiking boots, says Robin Page, the senior vice president of design for Volvo. So it’s important to fine tune your driving position to suit your bodyshape.
“Seat comfort is best achieved with the correct distribution of weight and support for the body, and the ability to make adjustments if you feel the need to change position,” he says.
All our experts recommend that drivers have their seat pulled far enough forward so that they can fully extend the clutch pedal while maintaining a slight bend in the knee.
The backrest of the seat should be tilted back ever so slightly, and when turning the steering wheel your shoulders should remain in contact with the seat – rather than hunched forward.
Rishi Loatey, a practising chiropractor and member of the BCA, adds that the centre of the headrest must sit higher than a driver’s ears. “If it’s lower than the ears, it acts as a fulcrum in an accident, which actually worsens the effects of whiplash.”
Will we see adjustable pedals appear on more new cars in the future? Robin Page suggests it’s very likely, especially “the more we move into the world of autonomous driving.” Page foresees the pedals moving out of sight once a car is driving itself, returning only when necessary.
Recaro, a car seat manufacturer that has been making car seats since 1965, started out with products for motor racing but today the company is finding there is increasing demand for its range of orthopaedic seats. It has created the following video for adjusting your seat, which helps visualise the tips above.
Step-by-step guide to finding the correct driving position by Recaro
Push your bottom as near as possible to the backrest. The distance from the seat to the pedals is adjusted so that your knee is slightly bent when the pedals are fully depressed.
- Rest your shoulders as closely as possible to the backrest. Set the backrest tilt so that the steering wheel is easy to reach with slightly bent elbows. The shoulder contact must be maintained when the steering wheel is turned.
- Set the seat height as high as possible. This ensures an unobstructed view to all sides and all displays on the instrument panel.
- Set the seat cushion tilt so that it is easy to fully depress the pedals. The thighs should rest gently on the seat cushion without exerting pressure on it. Check the backrest tilt before starting the engine.
- Adjust the extendable seat cushion so that the thighs rest on it to just above the knee. A rule of thumb is that there should be two to three fingers’ clearance between the seat edge and the hollow of the knee.
- The lumbar support has been adjusted when the lumbar part of the back is supported in its natural shape.
- The seat’s side bolsters should fit so snugly to the body that the upper body is supported comfortably at the side without being restricted.
- Adjust the upper edge of the headrest to the same height as the top of the head. The distance to the head should be approximately 2cm.
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