The cover story in yesterday's Motoring Telegraph contains the following comment:
In a car with airbags, the steering wheel should be held in the 9 - 3 position. If held at 10 - 2 and the airbag deploys, it could send your knuckles flying into your face at over 200 mph.
Never seen this mentioned before. (Given the article, a book extract, was illustrated with a LHD car supposedly in New York with UK registration plates, perhaps it shouldn't be taken too seriously.)
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At 10-2 the airbag will deploy betweem your arms and force them apart not up and back. At 11-1 or both at 12 you could be in trouble tho.
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more importantly, make sure you don't have a cigarette in your mouth when one goes off.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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If I recall correctly you can get a BMW pipe that is designed to snap off when hit by the airbag instead of being rammed down the driver's throat.
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I favour 20 to 4 (or 20 past 8 if you have a left-hand-drive car).
;-)
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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Because of my sweeping second hand, I drive at 5 to 1, 10 to 2, 1/4 to 3, 1/2 4 etc
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I drive with my hands at 8-4. This enables me to be just that little bit further from the steering column and thus increases the chance of me not being impaled on the steering column. I've seen someone impaled on the steering column and it was not a nice sight.
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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I'm constantly telling my younger brother off for sitting too close to his steering wheel, if he has an accident he's gonna be in serious trouble.
I like to sit a good distance back from the airbag so that it can do it's job properly and there is less chance of me being seriosuly injured.
I remember from when I learned about vehicle safety with Ford that the whole process of an impact tripping the crash sensors to airbag deployment and then the start of airbag deflation occurs in less time than it takes to blink an eye. It kind of puts into perspective how quickly the airbag moves in response to a bump.
Blue
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I'm constantly telling my younger brother off for sitting too close to his steering wheel, if he has an accident he's gonna be in serious trouble.
Yes but about the all the people that have to sit close to the wheel to allow them to reach the pedals?
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Well it doesn't matter where I have my hands on the wheel because, according to a police officer, as I am only 4ft 10ins tall the airbag will kill me instead of saving my life! Cheery thought. Apparently 5ft is the magic height which is why it is suggested that children under 12 shouldn't sit in the passenger seat of cars with airbags.
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On the subject of holding steering wheels:
Why is it that some people when cornering, especially at slow speeds, hold the wheel with their fingers curled around the rim so that the palm is facing the body? (as opposed to holding it palm down)
Looks a fiddly way of driving and I imagine it would be hard to suddenly change direction..
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by having the palm facing the body the driver can use the stronger biceps muscle and to a certain extent the pec major. palm down is using mostly the deltoid muscles.
i agree - it looks silly.
more commonly seen in women and people parking without power steering.
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You are obviously a very young person or someone who cannot remember watching bus drivers who did not have the benefit of power stering.
I guess its all about leverage.
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Yes but about the all the people that have to sit close to the wheel to allow them to reach the pedals?
I'm tall and buy a car with lots of legroom. Short legged people should buy cars with equally adjustable seats, or get pedal extenders. Its the people with their hands and elbows on the wheel (forearms vertical) that are dangerous IMHO.
You could recline your seat a little more and stretch your arms a bit. By being too close to the wheel you cannot move your arms freely.
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For me it's the right hand at 12 noon, the left arm loose and relaxed against the door, the seat well back and BB King on the CD...LHD that is.
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Right hand at about half past 12, left hand either on the gear stick or somewhere near 7 o'clock. Don't know why I have my hand there, just find it the easiest way to drive, although in bad weather etc I drive at 9 - 3.
Since buying a car with an arm rest in the middle, I now find myself leaning into the middle a lot - an annoying habit that I can't get out of!
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Well, I have my left hand holding the phone, right arm on the window and right knee at 5 o clock.
But in bad weather I use both knees......
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How do you know what time the airbags are going to deploy, anyway?
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