Time to ask the SERIOUS questions

"Alfalfa" (alfalfa-romeo)
11/17/2016 at 00:47 • Filed to: Serious

Why does a person 4 inches shorter than me need to have the driver’s seat 12 inches closer to the steering wheel?

DISCUSSION (14)

StoneCold > Alfalfa
11/17/2016 at 00:52

Serious answer:

Trunk-to-leg ratios

Tristan > Alfalfa
11/17/2016 at 00:53

T-rex arms?

Clown Shoe Pilot > Alfalfa
11/17/2016 at 00:53

all torso, no leg?

maybe your driving position is too far back?

Sovereign, Purveyor of Coupes > Alfalfa
11/17/2016 at 00:56

I’m almost a foot taller than my mom and have fairly long legs, yet sit closer to the wheel than she does. everybody gives me shit for how close I sit, but I like to be able to lean back, and not have to feel like I’m reaching for anything.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Alfalfa
11/17/2016 at 00:58

Depends on the source of the height. For them it could be lots of torso. My height is lots of leg and my steering wheel is tilt only.

Clown Shoe Pilot > StoneCold
11/17/2016 at 00:59

My dad and sister are all leg. My brother and I are more evenly split. Dad and I are the same height but I can’t reach the pedals comfortably in his car. My brother is 4" taller than us but doesn’t need to move the seat at all in dad’s car.

StoneCold > Clown Shoe Pilot
11/17/2016 at 01:04

A friendly game we play with newcomers (new significant others, in-laws, etc) to family gatherings is called “Find the hip bone”. The topic seems to always comes up, so there’s the inevitable stand off of comparing pelvic side-nub heights.

Alfalfa > Clown Shoe Pilot
11/17/2016 at 01:05

I only have slightly more leg proportion-wise. I sit just far back enough so that my knee doesn’t keep hitting the steering column. I think my wife just likes being really close to the steering wheel, but I can’t imagine it’s easy for her to get in and out.

arl > Alfalfa
11/17/2016 at 08:06

Yea, my wife is barely 5' tall and has a short arm to trunk ratio. When she drives my car and doesn’t put the seat back it’s pretty funny to watch me try and get into the car. I forget that the seat is hauled all the way up to the wheel and I try and jump in. Elbows and knees get smashed. There is much cursing.

And my wife likes the seat slammed low, all the way to the floor. I told her she’s already perfecting her “old lady humped over the steering wheel” look. She did not appreciate my comments.

JGrabowMSt > Alfalfa
11/17/2016 at 08:16

Please oh please have a discussion about airbags with her.

If she is too close to the wheel and the airbag goes off, it will straight up just injure her instead of protecting her. Neither of you (or anyone else for that matter) should have to go through that. Ive had to experience an airbag before, its quite unpleasant to begin with, I wouldnt want to be any closer than necessary.

J_P_Cars10s > Alfalfa
11/17/2016 at 10:01

I’m the same height/build as my dad. however I need the seat 4-6" closer because I’m in better shape. my hips sit further back within the seat.

CaptDale - is secretly British > JGrabowMSt
11/17/2016 at 13:14

This right here!!!! Sitting close is very dangerous when an airbag goes off.

Hateful Mate > JGrabowMSt
12/26/2016 at 09:21

I should probably mention this to my mum again. Her seat is all the way up, and the wheel all the way down, almost touching her legs. She has the steering wheel about 3 inches from her stomach. I can’t see how the airbag is going to catch her head if she has a crash.

JGrabowMSt > Hateful Mate
12/26/2016 at 12:32

Please do. It’s extremely important to place yourself in the car in such a way that all of the safety equipment is capable of doing its job correctly.

Im sure there are a plenty of videos online that explain it very well. I certainly dont want her to put herself into a situation that causes more harm because its “comfortable.” Being comfortable is nice, but in a car, its absolutely secondary to being safe.