Low back pain is almost up there with the common cold, affecting four out of five people across the globe. But there’s worse news for drivers; in a recent global survey, it has been found that 40% of people say that sitting down aggravates back or neck pain. It’s enough to have motorists shuffling uncomfortably in their seats.
The question is, how to resolve this problem? What can the drivers do to make sure that they sit comfortably, and before spending a small fortune on a replacement car, how can they know that it will not be akin to some sort of wicked device for torture, contorting spines, cricking necks and causing cramps in the legs?
So, with all this discussion we’ve realized that it’s really important to fine tune your driving position in order to suit your body shape.
Here are some tips to help you maintain a pain-free posture when driving a car.
The Seat
It is really important to make sure that your bottom sits all the way to the back of seat, the place where the back of seat and the base meet. Sitting this way will help you maintaining the natural curvature of spine and resultantly minimizing the stress caused on spinal ligaments. Make sure that you never sit in a slouched manner, as it would restrict your rotational head movements and would greatly reduce your field of vision.
The Base of Seat
When sitting in a car, you must always make sure that the back of your knees shouldn’t touch the base of seat. Moreover, you should always move the car seat slightly forward so as to minimize the knee-bending and tension on the hamstrings. Make sure to never move the car seat too forward as it will cause difficulty in applying the right force to the brake pedal. So, before you drive, make sure to find the sweet spot.
The Backrest
The experts recommend with slight backrest inclination of approximately 10 degrees. This helps stabilizing the body when you accelerate, brake and corner. Contrary to the fully vertical sitting posture when you drive, the slightly inclined posture would allow you to shift some body weight to the backrest and minimize the spinal stress owing to any vibration or road shock.
Seat to Pedal Distance
The ideal distance between the pedals and your seat is you do not require stretching your legs or twisting your body in any way when you press the pedals. The best position is to have your knees bent around 45 degrees.
The Arm Position
In order to minimize the amount of stress transferred to your arms and shoulders while you drive, the recommended angle for your elbows is around 20-30 degrees. If your vehicle’s steering wheel is adjustable, you should have it in the mid to lower position. Your hands must be positioned at ‘10 past 10’.
We hope these tips will help you minimize the tiredness caused as a result of driving.
