Driving position...

My youngest just got his 'learner's permit'. I tell him to keep his hands at the '10 o'clock-2 o'clock' position. His driver training instructor tells him to place his hands at the BOTTOM of the wheel, where they are out of the way if the airbag is deployed. WTF?
If that's the logic today, why have your hands on the wheel at all? Why not steer with your knees and keep your hands out of the way where they would be safe from that dangerous airbag?
What is correct here? 10&2? or bottom of wheel?

p.s. This has to be a repost, but I couldn't find anything. You have to have a womb to be able to find anything, in my experience.

 

9 and 3, particularly if the steering wheel has spokes that allow me to rest my thumbs at those points. I also reach a little lower, sort of a 3.25 and 8.40. I think 10/2 is old school, isn't it?

 

I'm only 55!

 

10-2 is the way I learned way back, but I have been to defensive high speed driving schools and most of the instructors now perfer and teach the 9-3 position.

 

10-2/9-3 is the way to go.

 

rip the damn airbag out, then 10 and 2 will be safe.....

 

I usually have it at 9 and 12... but for most of the driving tests, they want you to have it at 9 and 3, at least in pa that is.

 

I just got out of drivers ed about a year ago, they were still teaching 10&2 but 9&3 is pretty good too, whats up with htat kids instructor, is he on crack!?!? i drive with my hands on the bottom after driving on long trips for about 2 hours, thats just for comfort, you shouldnt drive at such a low point on the wheel because you have less control on the wheel....

 

who are you kidding, you keep at at 12 and 1 hand on your nuts.......

 

you caught me...

 

One finger on the wheel, one hand on the phone!

 

10 and 2, or 9 and 3. Really I find no major difference, just for comfort. I have heard before what the instructor is talking about but that is wrong. First off, if you're about to be in a car accident you want as much control over the car as you can have, impossible with your hands on the bottom. Breaking your thumbs may be a small price to pay to having some control of what happens. If you don't have control you can end up in worse shape.

Plus you are more likely to get into an accident with your hands on the bottom then at 10 and 2. Stupid teacher

 

That would be defining a different "Drive" now wouldn't it?

 

That's the standard driving position for the 405

 

Where gas pedals go to die.......................

 

Hey, at least you find out the limits of your automobile.. my cruise control does in fact work under 15mph!

 

...how do you guys hold your beer?

 

In the cellphone hand.

 

I hold the bottom of the wheel with one hand and usually have my iPod in the other.

 

I usually drive with one hand at 9:07am and the other at 3:16pm

 

Make sure that you sit close enough to the wheel to bend your wrists behind it.

 

I prefer left hand at 12 and right arm stright across the top of passenger seat, with right hand hanging down. Brooklyn style.

 

right hand at 6. occasionally left hand on the phone

 

9:00 - 3:00 is the normal position.

Most standard driving instructors don't know anything about driving, besides the road rules...

If you know you're going to have an accident and are beyond the point of taking avoiding action, take your hands off the wheel and put them against your chest / abdomen. This will not only protect your hands, wrists and arms from the airbag inflating, but also from sudden rotation of the wheel.

The following video is a good illustration. It is onboard footage of Montoya at Suzuka in 2002 during Free Practice 2, running wide off the track at Denger Curve and into the tyre barrier. You can see clearly how he takes his hands off the wheel and puts them against his chest. The only variation I would make to this in a road car is to place your arms slightly lower and in more of a crossed position, because there is no 6 point harness holding your body firmly to the seat.

http://rapidshare.de/files/8573844/Suzuka_2002_FP2_Montoya_crashing_onboard.avi.html

 

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