Once you've adjusted your car to better suit you, you'll be able to focus all of your attention on the road ahead. This time, we're looking at setting up your car steering wheel. If you don't take the time to adjust it properly, it could lead to issues with your posture and, more importantly, your ability to drive safely.
In this guide, we're going to go through all of the steps involved in setting up your car steering wheel.
To adjust your steering wheel, you will only need to use one manual control. Under the steering column (right below the wheel), you'll notice a small lever that lies flat against the column. As we'll discuss further below, you can pull this lever to adjust the height and depth of your steering wheel.
Sometimes, there's no way of knowing whether or not adjustments are spot on until you actually start driving. It might seem perfect whilst you're sat still, but once you start physically steering, it might be another story entirely.
If you do realise that the steering wheel is too close/far away, or too high/low, it's important that you do not adjust it while you're still moving. Doing so could result in you losing control of the car and crashing. If it's bothering you that much, pull over in a safe place and adjust it once you've stopped the car.
As you're driving, make sure that you're holding your steering wheel correctly. This will ensure that you maintain control of the vehicle, and also stop the airbag from inflicting serious injury in the event of a collision. (If you're holding it incorrectly, e.g., both hands at 12 o'clock, the triggered airbag could cause serious damage to your arms.)
Still a bit confused about setting up your car steering wheel? Not to worry! If you'd prefer to see how the process works in real life, you can get the full lowdown in the video tutorial below.
This quick two minute clip will walk you through setting up your car steering wheel and also talk about what you need to know when you go through the process.
There are two steering wheel hand positions that you should be aware of:
- 10 and 2: place your left hand at 10 o'clock on the wheel and your right hand at 2 o'clock. This is the position favoured by most driving instructors.
- 9 and 3: place your left hand at 9 o'clock on the wheel and your right hand at 3 o'clock. This is a slightly more relaxed position.
It doesn't matter which of these two hand positions that you pick. As long as it's comfortable for you, that's all that matters.
Ideally, you should be around 10 inches away from the steering wheel. This means that if the airbag is triggered in a collision, the impact won't cause you serious harm.
No! Under no circumstance should you ever try to adjust your steering wheel as you drive. You could end up losing control of the car and hurt not only yourself, but others around you.
You'll know if the steering wheel is in the incorrect position if it's causing you a lot of tension in your shoulders and arms. If it's clearly uncomfortable for you, then it's clear that you need to make adjustments.
Yes! In your first driving lesson, your driving instructor will start off by introducing you to the cockpit drill. This is a process in which you will check that the car is properly adjusted to suit you. You'll be shown how to set up your car seat, steering wheel, seatbelt, headrest, mirrors and much more.
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