DRIVING POSITION

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 75, 21 December 1928, Page 17

DRIVING POSITION

Has anyone thought bow the position of a person while driving a ear may affect his or her health generally (asks a correspondent in a motoring journal). To older people this does not apply so much. It does apply to younger people, and is a very important matter, especially for those young people who drive a lot. Have you ever noticed that beginners often sit bolt upright, directly behind the wheel, with both hands equally placed halfway up the steering wheel? As soon as they become sufficiently confident, the majority assume a negligent-look-ing attitude, the general tendency being either to rest the arm upon the side of the body of the car, or to sit in the corner.

Now, a little thought will show that with the elbow resting on the side of the body-work of the car, the right side of the driver’s body becomes stretched, and the left side compressed, with a consequent twisting of the spine. Again, if one sits in the corner, the shoulders are almost certain to be hunched, which in young people may lead to chest weakness. The best position is undoubtedly that of the beginner, with support placed under (not at the back of) the shoulders to help them keep an upright position.