;)
June 12th, 2015
My father and my driver’s education instructor advised me when I was learning to drive that I needed to place my hands on the steering wheel at “10 and two” positions, like on a clock face. I have been driving with my hands at the 10 and two location for a long time now. NOW that hand position has changed. There are articles that state that since the driver side airbags are located in the automobile steering wheel, it would behoove the driver to adjust their hand location to “nine and three” on that imaginary clock face to escape hand/finger/arm injuries.
The 10 and two position was taught for so long because the higher grip enables a driver to keep the car running smoothly without needing to jerk the wheel suddenly if he or she is cut off or if there is a hazard in the road, according to SmartMotorist.com. But doing it the old way could risk serious injuries to a driver's hands or fingers if the airbag activates, as MSNBC recently reported:
“That means the higher up the wheel your hands are, the more likely they are to be directly over the plastic cover when it opens — that is, when superhot nitrogen gas flashes and inflates the bag at 150 to 250 mph.
Among the injuries the NHTSA reports from improper placement of the hands when an airbag deploys are amputations of fingers or entire hands, traumatic fractures and a particularly stomach-churning injury called "degloving," which — trust us — you definitely don't want to look up.”
AAA also recommends the nine and three position, explaining in the guidelines for senior drivers that it enables "180-degree steering input without removing your hands from the steering wheel, a high level of arm leverage and vehicle control and an awareness of where the wheels are pointing and how to straighten them."
Now, I must tell you that I have attempted, and am still attempting to give it that “old college try,” to drive with my hands positioned at nine and three. However, I keep returning to the OLD 10 and two position. So don’t be discouraged, just keep trying to correct your hand position on your steering wheel to nine and three to keep your hands safe.
GOOD LUCK AND DRIVE SAFE!
