Postural Advice When Driving
Seat
Adjust the back of the seat so that it is slightly backwards so that it feels natural and your elbows should be a comfortable and relaxed angle for driving.
Steering wheel
Once you have adjusted your seat, your hands should fall naturally on the steering wheel. If the wheel is too high and far away, tension will build up in your shoulders and upper back. If it is too low and close to you, the wheel may be touching your legs, which will reduce your ability to turn it freely, putting strain on the wrists and the muscles of the upper back.
Airbag safety: Once you have adjusted your seat and steering wheel, ensure that the adjustments allow for the recommended ten inch (25.5cm) distance between yourself and the airbag cover in your steering wheel.
Mirrors
Set your mirror positions to suit you before you drive off. Your reactions must be quick, so you should not need to move your head a lot. The mirror positions should allow you to see all around the car with the movement of your eyes with minimal head movement.
Seatbelts
Your seatbelt should always lie across the top of your shoulder and never rub against your neck or fall onto the top of your arm.
Depending on your height, you may need to adjust the position at which the seat belt emerges from the body of the car.
If the adjustments available are insufficient, it is possible to purchase clips that help you adjust your seat belt height without impairing safety.
Footwear
Once you have adjusted your seat correctly, your feet should fall naturally onto the pedals. You should be able to press the pedals to the floor by mainly moving your ankle and only using your leg a little.
Avoid wearing wear high heels, or very thick-soled shoes, as you will have to overextend the ankle in order to put pressure on the pedals. As well as making it much harder to deal with an emergency stop, this position will raise your thigh from the seat (reducing support to your leg) and create tension (and possibly cramp) in the calf. This, in turn, will impair the blood flow on a long journey.
Relax - A relaxed driving position reduces stress on the spine, allowing your seat to take your weight.
Take regular breaks - You should stop and stretch your legs (and arms!) at least every two hours, more often if possible. You should certainly stop more frequently if you are feeling any discomfort.
Clench your cheeks - If you are stuck in traffic, exercise in your seat. Try buttock
clenches, side bends, seat braces (pushing your hands into the steering wheel and your
back into the seat – tensing and relaxing) as well as shoulder shrugs and circles.
Leave the tight clothes at home - They will restrict your movement.
It’s all in the timing - Allow plenty of time for journeys to avoid stress.