You could spend megabucks on the most technologically advanced car on the market, but the basics still apply.   Knowing how to adjust the driver’s seat so your arms, legs and head are properly positioned and how your seatbelt should fit are crucial elements in ensuring your safety on the road. Leigh Robshaw reports.

Head Restraints

A recent study by insurance companies in six countries found that only one-sixth of the vehicles on the Australian market that were tested had effective head restraints. Consequently, neck injuries are one of the most common in crashes and account for millions of dollars in insurance claims each year.

It’s not just the type of head restraint your car carries, but how you adjust it that determines the level of safety it will provide. The head restraint height should be raised so the top of the restraint is no lower than eye level, and it should never be used as a head rest.

Adjusting the seat

How you adjust the driver’s seat is also important as it determines where your body is in relation to the car’s controls and minimises the risk of impact in a crash. Most cars have levers to adjust the forward/backward position, the reclining position and the height.
Safety expert Dr Michael Henderson says the minimum recommended distance from the centre of the chest to the centre of the steering wheel is 250mm, or 10 inches, with 300mm the safest distance. Any closer and you risk hitting your face on the wheel in a crash, due to seatbelt stretch. And raising the driver’s seat to a high position has advantages for vision around the car.

You should be able to drape your hands fully over the top of the wheel with your wrists resting on the rim, while keeping your shoulders planted firmly in the seat.

Experts recommend a firm quarter-to-three grip when holding the steering wheel, with your elbows bent in a gentle v-shape. If your arms are too straight, your seat cushion needs to be moved forward, or the seat brought back to a more vertical position.

Leg position

Leg position is also important. You shouldn’t be able to completely straighten your left leg. Severe upper leg and hip injuries are caused when a driver braces for impact by straightening the left leg. This position sends the force straight up the leg to the hip joint, whereas a bent leg allows the knee to flex and absorb some of the force.

Seatbelts

Airbags can help in the event of a crash, with the full airbag package (front, side and head-protection airbags) offering the most protection. They are, however, considered a supplementary restraint system (SRS), which means they are no substitute for a seatbelt worn properly. Keep the following points in mind:

• Seatbelts should be in good condition with no cuts or fraying parts.
• The upper-body sash should come across the centre of the chest and the lap sash should be across the hips and bony structure of the pelvis. This is also the case for pregnant women.
• In recent model cars that have an adjustable shoulder guide, the belt should be adjusted so that it sits across the centre of the shoulder and is neither sitting on the neck nor falling off the point of the shoulder.
• Children should use a booster seat and travel in the back if the seatbelt doesn’t fit securely around them.
• A lap sash (across the chest and lap) is preferable to a lap belt in the back seat.
• If a serious crash occurs and airbags are deployed, the belt should be replaced.
  

For more information, call NRMA Technical Advice on 1300 655 443.