The first thing one must know to learn to drive correctly is to know how to sit behind the wheel. By knowing how to sit behind the wheel, you are protecting your safety and that of those who accompany you on your journey.
Despite the fact that all passengers, no matter how short the trip, must always wear a seat belt, protecting our integrity in the car is not enough. The driver must know what to do before starting the car, he must know how to customize the elements of the car for his driving.
Basically knowing how to sit behind the wheel implies configuring all the elements of the vehicle adapting them to your needs in order to facilitate the handling of the vehicle and protect everyone who is transported in it, including you.
The way in which we adjust the car influences how comfortable or uncomfortable we will feel in it while driving, if we do not accommodate the seat, mirrors, etc., we will end up getting fatigued by the movements inside the car.
Before you start driving, we are going to show you the proper way to accommodate and adjust your car, and thus, learn to sit correctly behind the wheel.
Without further ado, check out how to get behind the wheel, learn the most efficient way to get behind the wheel.
What do you need to sit behind the wheel?
- Car
Instructions for getting behind the wheel
- Prepare the seat. Each person is different and therefore has different needs, to sit behind the wheel correctly, you have to know what distance there should be between the steering wheel and the seat. If you are too close to the steering wheel it will be uncomfortable to drive and it will be difficult for you to maneuver the wheel. Make sure that the distance between the steering wheel and the seat allows you to move comfortably without feeling suffocated by the lack of space or by the excess distance.
- Moving the seat back is not enough to properly set up the seat. For safety, it is better that the seat is as low as possible, but without the height interfering with visually, preventing a good view of the road. Still, if you find the seat too low to be uncomfortable, raise it a bit so you can better manage the steering wheel, gears, and pedals without feeling cramped due to lack of space.
- Remember the distance of the pedals. It is also important to highlight the importance of the pedals, if the seat is very far from the pedals it will be difficult to press them, or if the seat is very close to the pedals, it will be tiring due to having very bent legs. Ideally, the distance between the pedals and the seat allow you to stretch your leg when pressing the pedals without it being completely upright. The seat should not be too close either, because if your legs are very close to the pedals, it will be difficult to change pedal and step on them. The distance between the steering wheel, the seat and the pedals must be adjusted to your needs and to your body, so that you can operate the pedals and the steering wheel without feeling uncomfortable in the seat.
- The back should also be comfortable when sitting behind the wheel. Many tend to have the seat far back to rest from time to time while driving, this is not highly recommended, because the backrest is a support that allows us to drive without getting too tired, but having it too far back or far forward can be counterproductive in case road accident, therefore it is recommended that the backrest be slightly inclined, because if you have it very straight, this could make your back tire more quickly, and if you have it too far back there are more possibilities of back injuries in case crash.
- In addition to the backrest and the seat, it is important to emphasize the function of the head of the seat. This helps us to appease the blow in case of a crash, as well as giving more comfort to the driver. From 5 to 6 cm from the upper half of your neck, your neck and head should be able to have contact with the headrest, this will reduce the risk of neck or skull fractures in case of accidents, or injuries from driving at high speed.
- The steering wheel must be held with the arms bent in a position of approximately 90° without this being forced or annoying when moving, that is, you must be able to drive it naturally without feeling uncomfortable due to the position you have. If you are in a very high place, it will be difficult to get a good grip on the steering wheel or press the pedals, in addition to running a greater risk of hurting yourself in case the car rolls over, so we will try to ensure that you can steer comfortably without raising or lowering the wheels a lot. hands when manipulating the steering wheel.
- The mirrors are very important, because we must look at them frequently so that we can drive safely to avoid a collision with the vehicles behind you or to take the step in case of need, arrange the mirrors so that you can see through them the way without you having to move your neck much. If you force your neck too much to see the road your neck will get tired and possibly numb or cramp from the constant forced movement. In order to see what is behind us more clearly, the mirrors give an effect that everything is further away, do not trust this because you could have accidents or mishaps when driving.
- Do not forget the seat belt, that is the most important thing to sit behind the wheel. Always put on your seat belt before driving. The seat belt can prevent mishaps when driving and many times the simple fact of wearing a seat belt can save your life. Adjust the belt to your body, the belt should not be too close or you will not be able to move, nor too far from your body or it will not protect you well. Ideally, there should be some freedom of movement within the belt without it being too tight.
Tips for getting behind the wheel
- A seat belt can be uncomfortable, especially for women because it compresses the chest, but wearing a seat belt can prevent you from being killed in a car crash.
- When you sit down, your back should not slouch, because if it slouches a lot you will get more tired when driving and you will feel numb.
- You can calculate the gasoline consumption of your car if you click on this link.
