COMFORT OF DRIVING POSITION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 153, 14 June 1932, Page 10

COMFORT OF DRIVING POSITION

m buuie models insufficient room it allowed for the driver to sit comforts tably behind the wheel, and manipulate with ease the brake and clutch pedals. In particular some coupe ty|>ei appear to cramp the average-sized man, insufficient room being left be. tween front of the driver's seat and the tops of the pedals. One prominent Australian body-builder, approached on the subject, admitted that several ink stances had recently come under hi) notice, where drivers were thus handicapped. His measurements for a coupe are 39in. from the front of the squab at the (back of the driver to the tops of the pedals, and 18in. from the ft on J of the seat to the top of the pedals; measurements that should, it it claimed, ensure driving comfort for a six feet man. Admittedly it is not an easy matter to build the seating accommodation to suit all shapes and sizes of drivers, and to overcome the difficulty many body manufacturers are fitting adjustable driving seats. The designers of “sports” bodies appear to pay mote attention to this important matter, perhaps because the owners of sports models usually insist on a comfortable and efficient driving position. After all, an easy posture behind the wheel, with the feet reaching naturally on to the pedals, means much to the motorist who sits for hours at the wheel. The matter of brake and clutch pedal application is the key to correct seating, because it fixes an essential measurement in accordance with the dimensions of the driver. With the feet lightly resting in position on the pedals, the lower part of the leg should only be at a gentle angle to the thigh, while the seat should give a reasonable amount of sup|>ort under the knees. The front edge of the seat cushion should be quite flexible to permit of straightening the log with ease, when operating the clutch or Nfrake pedal.