Hand positioning

Hi SDG,

While I was going through the road rules etc for training for driving a small bus we were told about that 'rule'. Apparently it has to do with airbags in the steering wheel and that if they explode they can remove your thumbs!! Not pleasant I would think. None of us knew about this. I was one of the older 'learners', but we also had 2-3 who were under 30 and they knew nothing about it. I now always try to drive at a quarter to three.

I've noticed that our 150 Prado has thumb rest set up in the quarter to three position.

Just goes to show.

Cheers,
Di

I would guess that it is to do with airbags fitted inside the centre of the wheel.
Just a hint though - stop watching and believing what is said on the infotainment shows at 6.30. They don't provide any value to life at all. rgds

Gen Y can't understand it because they've all got digital watches.

Gday...

I am not sure airbags in the centre of the steering wheel is the reason .... whether at 10 to 2 or quarter to 3 ... I would have thought if it went off it would get ya anyhow.
However, I have been led to believe it is because wiper/washer and lights/blinker contrrols are at the quarter to three and it means your hands are properly placed to operate them without moving your hands on the wheel.

.... add disagreement here :-)

Cheers
John

Hi all : when at the wheel I find I will have my hand in different positions as i'm not a robot . I do like to keep my hands well down 20 to 4 ,to keep arms rested on long runs .
when 4wding I like to keep my thumbs etc out of centre of the wheel .

cheers nick

Never mind getting your thumbs blown off.

Its the airheads that insist on travelling with their feet on the dash that get me.

Are they closer to the monkeys or something.

They will be if an airbag goes off and stuff their knees just past their ears.

I read an article once by a trauma doctor who said this is quite common in accidents and in some cases has shoved the ankles up past their knees and crushed the chest on the way.

Not a partcularly nice thought..

Was always taught to drive with thumbs outside the wheel especially on tractors and off road vehicles

Hi All,

As a professional driving instructor I believe I may be able to to give a little insight to this question.

JohnBee is partially correct, it does assist in the operation of the indicators correctly. However, not all wiper systems are up/down.

I have never heard of "blowing he thumbs off" however, it is due to the correct operation of the air bags.

If you wear any jewellry, or a wrist watch, chances are if you are involved in an accident that the air bags go off, you will be wearing the said items on your face.

For the record, another common falicy I get told every day is that "You are not allowed to cross your arms!"

The problem with this instruction is that MOST people giving this advice do not know the difference between, :Crossing Arms" and "Overarming."

Consequently we have a lot of drivers incorrectly using the push/pull steering method in a dangerous manner.

Dusty

Never thought about the airbag answer. Never owned a vehicle that has one.


Thanks for all the replies.

Truth is...

How many of us drive with two hands at ALL times anyway?

Hmmm,

Back in 1970 when I took my test in the UK it was 9 and 3 on the steering wheel, I was also taught to push pull, a habit I still have. I was told back then it was for indicators and wipers, (remember when they had the horn at the end of the light stalk)... This was to put your hands where the controls were.

Hand position can cause tiredness, if the hands are higher than the heart, your body spends time pumping to the hands not the brain.

You quite often see the results of this with a P plater laying back in the seat hardly seeing over the steering wheel, the first thing is its one hand at the top of the wheel, and either leaning into the door or centre console, usually late at night when tired, the next thing you see, is it wrapped around a telegraph post...

Airbags are a minor cause of concern, depending where the front wheels are pointing your hands could be in the way of the airbag.
I did see a hand and wrist smash into the windscreen when an airbag went off in a Magna, I have the photos as the Magna hit my 100 (wife driving).

My 2 cents worth.

Gee. Lots of different ideas posted about how you rest your hands on the wheel. To my mind, none of it has whit to do with air bags, more to do with not having any power steering at all.

When I was enjoying myself driving a Blitzwagon carting 17-tons across the French Line in 1963, my mechanics advised, to avoid the kick-back and lose a thumb on the next big jolt, I should keep my fingers only inside the ring of the steering wheel. Very much so, thumbs outside.

For those drivers low on basics, keeping your thumbs outside the rim must look curious around the suburbs, but that is the way I get around these days, too. 10 to 2 for me, SDG.


www.simpsondesert.fl.net.au

No.1 son happened to have this discussion with his driving instructor the other day.
Her suggestion was 10 and 2 when driving around town with lots of corners and 9 and 3 when on the open road with more bends. Mainly for ease and comfort of driving.
Just another view on it.

I'd question the airbag reason for 2 reasons:

1. Australian Airbags do not deploy at anywhere near the force or velocity of US airbags, as in the US Airbags are required as a primary restraint because seat belts are not mandatory in many states. In Oz, however, where seat belts are required by law, airbags are a supplementary restraint (hence the moniker 'SRS Airbags' which means Supplementary Restraint System). Thus any injury caused by the airbag deployment in Australia will be less than that in the US.

2. I recall Mythbusters doing a show on this subject and they busted the myth that airbags could "rip your thumbs off". Not sure how much I believe Mythbusters, but an interesting tidbit.

FWIW, even at 10 to 2, the force of the airbag is more likely to fling your arms up and away, rather than directly back into your face.

This question was posed on Eddies Millionaire Hot Seat program just last week !!
I got it wrong cos I said 10 to 2. It wasnt even an option in the answers.

Correct answer was given as "quarter to three" as that is where the indicator and wiper controls are.

Recommended by some road saftey mob, apparently.

Must be correct as Eddie said so !!

Ian