Reducing Tension During Driving

Car driving is an unusual activity as far as our bodies are concerned. The driver’s position is not a natural one. The longer the drive, the higher the likelihood of the body tensing up and creating pain.

The correct posture when in the driver’s seat is critical as well as driving safely. Many drivers do not position themselves correctly in their cars and therefore seriously lack control and comfort while driving. A good driving position can actually help preventing accidents, improve safety should an accident occur, and improve driving comfort.  So it is very important to maintain the right sitting posture while driving.

The following provides some ways to ease the tension and make the driving experience a little more pleasant.

1 Distance from steering wheel

1. It is important to maintain the right distance from the steering wheel because in case of accident the steering wheel may hit our chest or even the wind screen may break and hit our face. And if we sit too far we may not be able to view properly or drive properly.
2. Adjust the seat distance. The seat should always be positioned with regard to the pedals. Press the   brake pedal fully with your right foot. Fully depress the clutch (in a manual transmission car) or dead pedal (in an automatic). The distance should be adjusted so that with fully depressed pedals, your knees remain slightly bent (about 120 degrees). (See Picture)
   • To make sure your check is accurate, start the engine and press on the brakes a few times before performing the check to build up pressure.
   • If the knee straightens, you are too far back. It is too close if it is bent close to 90 degrees.
   • A fully extended leg results in the knee locking-up. This reduces the leverage, the feel of the pedals, increases effort, and puts you at risk of severe injuries to the feet in a collision. The straight knee will be fractured whereas the bent knee would fold down. Furthermore, the bone would project the shock up to the pelvis and lower back.
   • A knee excessively bent (when the driver sits too close) at an angle of about 100 degrees, does not support the body effectively and results in bad blood circulation. It can also hit the under-dash in a collision.
   • The thighs should be placed as far apart as is comfortable. In small cars, most people can create a wide enough base as to lean their knees against the center console on one side and the door on the other.
   • The feet should be placed with the heels on the floor and the balls of the feet pressing against the pedals. The right foot in particular should be able to pivot between the throttle and brake pedal. However the heel is placed roughly in front of the brakes. This might mean that you do not cover the brake pedal fully when pressing it. However pressing the throttle is done with the foot at an angle, contacting the pedal close to its lower edge. This is the correct way to utilize the feet.
   • The left foot should be resting over the dead-pedal whenever not working on the clutch (or, in an automatic, at all times). This increases support to the pelvis and allows the driver to brace the body by applying pressure against the footrest in corners or in events of strong braking instead of hanging onto the pedals or steering.
3. Fix the back support. Make sure you sit straight and that your buttocks and back are square and completely squeezed into the seat. Some drivers’ seats cause your body to sit at a flexed angle that is not a usual posture stance. The sagging of your lower back into the car seat will inevitably cause pain from the lack of support, so it is important to remedy this. Add a small back support cushion; your core (psoas) muscles will not have to do so much work to keep you in place. This helps to avoid backaches, possible back injuries and maintain awareness during long drives.
4. Adjust the head rest for comfort. It is very important that your head rest is comfortable as this will help to minimize back pain.
5. Do not tilt your head to see in the rear vision mirror. If you are constantly tilting, this will result in muscle and lower back tension. Sit in a position where it is only your eyes that have to move and not your head for the rear view vision.
6. Practice differential relaxation. There are parts of your body that have little choice but to keep working while driving. Differential relaxation places a focus on relaxing those muscles not being used while you are driving. For example, while your neck and shoulders do not actually do the driving, they often end up being a source of pain from driving in one position repeatedly. Try to remember to keep your neck, shoulders, non-working leg, etc. relaxed as the other muscles do the driving work. Pull your shoulders down, sit up straighter, stretch your neck or shrug when waiting at traffic lights, etc.
7. Keep your eyes at the same level. As the day progresses, many people find themselves slumping through tiredness. Rather than stretching back to your proper posture, the temptation is to slouch and adjust the mirrors to suit the lower positioning of your eyes. Instead, aim to leave the mirrors alone and keep your eyes at the same level no matter the time of day. This will force you to maintain the straighter posture throughout the day.
8. Adjust the seating when visibility is poor. Rather than straining forward to see out of the window during rain, fog, etc, it is far better to remain seated properly as usual and to simply move the seat forward a little to help you see better. If the visibility is so bad that you cannot see, take a break and rejoin the traffic when it improves.
9. Keep the temperature even in the car. Being too hot or cold can bring tension. This because your muscles try to compensate for heat loss or gain. Also, being too hot or cold can impact your ability to concentrate, making you feel tense.

Do Enjoy And Have a Stress Free Driving Experience.

Complied By; Jemimah Kamau,
Physiotherapist,
C & P Health Center.