If possible and if you feel in control, sliding your hands down to 8 and 4 is a pro defensive driving move: For starters, 8 and 4 further reduces your risk of injury if the airbag should deploy because your hands will just be pushed into your lap instead of flying upwards or towards your face.
8 & 4. An equally acceptable steering stance is the 8 & 4 position, where the driver's hands are sitting along the lower curve of the steering wheel. Drivers tend to find this stance to be the most comfortable and least fatiguing so it is a go-to for long distance driving on highways and freeways.
Keep your hands at opposite sides of the steering wheel. Imagine that the steering wheel is a clock. The most effective positions for your hands are at 8 and 4 o'clock.
Experts at the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) now recommend 9 and 3 — on opposite sides of the wheel halfway up — as the ideal steering wheel hand placement. The 9 and 3 steering wheel hand position maintains good control over the wheel while reducing the risk of injury from the airbag.
After analysis, scientists found that the rate of onset of muscle fatigue was less while using the 8 o'clock-4 o'clock position as compared to other positions. Interfacial pressure of the handgrip on the steering wheel was also better in this position and there was uniform loading on the palm.
The steering wheel: ideally, the steering wheel should be positioned so that its centre is at the same height as your neck. We recommend you flex your arms and place both hands on the steering wheel in a quarter-to-three position. Your elbows should be at 90 degrees.
Hand position on steering wheel
You probably learned to keep your hands at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions on the steering wheel. Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends drivers put their hands at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions.
Common driving advice is that you should keep your hands at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions on the steering wheel. This technique is supposed to give you maximum control of the steering wheel so you're able to make hand-over-hand turning maneuvers.
Put your left hand between the “8 and 9 o'clock” part of the wheel and your right between the “3 and 4 o'clock” position to steer hand-over-hand. You can use the right top third of your steering wheel to move it in that direction. Do the opposite to move the wheel to the left.
There are three main types of steering movements: hand-over-hand, hand-to-hand, and one-hand steering.
You must keep both hands on the wheel at all times unless changing gears or indicating. It doesn't matter whether you're driving an automatic or a manual – the law is the same across Australia.
Since four-wheel steering systems have many mechanical and electrical components, if one malfunctions, your entire steering system could be compromised. Since they are more complex, four-wheel steering systems also tend to take more time to repair.
1. Low Power Steering Fluid. Low power steering fluid is one of the most common issues that you'll have as a driver. Your car will need its power steering fluid topped-up every once in a while, to ensure that the hydraulic power steering system continues to function smoothly.
idiom. British, informal. : to make an obscene gesture by holding up the index finger and the middle finger of one hand in the shape of a V while keeping the palm turned inward.
to express anger at someone in a very rude way by holding up your first two fingers in the shape of a 'V' with your palm facing you.
Noun. one-finger salute (plural one-finger salutes) The obscene gesture made by holding only the middle finger of a hand erect while the rest of the fingers are in a fist.
Historically, drivers have been instructed to hold the steering wheel at the “10 o'clock” and “2 o'clock” positions. The reasoning is that this allows for maximum hand-over-hand control when making turns. Old as this advice may be, there's a very good reason why you shouldn't drive at “10 and 2.”
While there is no one correct hand position or way to steer, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has provided some basic guidelines. If you think of the steering wheel as the face of a clock, place your hands at 9 and 3 o'clock, or slightly lower at 8 and 4 o'clock.
NHTSA now recommends the technique known as "9 and 3". Place your left hand on the left portion of the steering wheel in a location approximate to where the nine would be if the wheel was a clock. Your right hand should be placed on the right portion of the wheel where the three would be located.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the steering wheel should sit 10 inches away from the driver's chest for optimal safety. However, many drivers don't abide by this rule, and because of the way drivers' airbags are designed, sitting too close can be very dangerous.
Several experts say hand-over-hand steering isn't the safest steering method for two main reasons. First, with hand-over-hand steering the driver's arm crosses over the center of the steering wheel where the airbag is located. In the event that airbag deploys, it could cause serious injury to the driver's arm.