You might be sitting in your car wrong. Get out, grab the 12-inch ruler you used in elementary school, and saw off 2 inches. Get back in your car and adjust the seat until the ruler touches both your chest and the center of the steering wheel. Congratulations, you are now sitting 10 inches away from the wheel, the distance recommended by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.*
Oh, looks like we have an asterisk to address. Actually, the 10-inch
rule isn't necessarily what's best for you. Yes, you specifically. You may have long Michael Phelps arms that could retrieve the top items in a vending machine through the dispenser slot, or you might have arms so short you can't reach your own pockets. Human bodies embrace a range of extremes, and a singular distance rule isn't going to encompass all body types.
Race drivers will tell you that the ideal distance from the wheel can be determined thusly: While sitting in the driver's seat, extend your arms forward and keep a slight bend at the elbow. Your shoulders should stay against the back of the seat. Adjust the seat forward or back until you can rest your wrists on top of the wheel while maintaining this position. You want your arms to bend about 120 degrees, so maybe bring your protractor to be sure. Too close and it's hard to steer due to limited arm movement. Too far, and you can cause poor posture that puts strain on your muscles and joints, leading to fatigue.
Read more: These Are The Car-Related Movie Mistakes That Really Bother You
Adjusting Your Distance From The Steering Wheel Isn't Just A Load Of Hot Air(bag)
Finding the optimal distance from the steering wheel isn't solely about comfort. Sure, you should have good posture and avoid being cramped when driving, lest you have to visit the chiropractor for frequent adjustments. But keeping yourself a reasonable distance from the steering wheel is smart in an era where we have explosive bags of air that can pop out of a steering column at 200 mph. Putting some space between you and the airbag is a good idea, lest the device that's designed to save your life instead lead to broken bones, burns, and cuts. If you have one of the 475,000 one- or two-decade-old cars with Takata airbags that can become impromptu grenades, maybe sit even farther away, like in a different car.
You'll also hear that you should "keep the steering wheel positioned downward" so it aims at your chest and not your face. This only applies to cars with airbags, of course. If you're driving an older, airbagless vehicle, then the wheel may already be at a face-aiming angle by default.
Case in point, let's say your buddy just tossed you the keys to his Ferrari 328 and said, "Drive it like you stole it, champ." Then he winked, did a finger gun, put on some aviator sunglasses, and made a three-pointer from half court. You have cool friends. But you get into that Ferrari and realize the steering column is so vertical it feels like it's right out of a bus. The wheel's tilt is adjustable, but it requires undoing screws, trim, and some bolts, so you leave it as is. Besides, Ferrari may have intended it to be driven this way.
Let's Talk About The Steering-Wheel-Tilt Theory
One theory states that severely tilted wheels, like those in old Ferraris and other Italian car brands, are easier to turn. There are threads on Reddit, Quora, and even a Mazda Miata forum talking about how drivers can put more leverage on bus-angle wheels. Check out forums and articles discussing driving Fiats, Alfa Romeos, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis, and the most common descriptor is the "bus-like wheel angle."
Looking at more forums and a fantastic Motor Trend article on seating positions, there are numerous references to the "Italian driving position" necessitated by short legs and long arms, which may also explain the severely angled steering wheel. A tall torso would put the driver's head higher, meaning a down-angled wheel would hinder the view of the gauge cluster, which makes sense because Ferrari forums also have complaints that tilting the wheel down obstructs the gauges.
All this to say that you may have to approach your driving position in a unique way. Steering-wheel distance is but one metric for finding the ideal seating position, and prevailing wisdom may not take your needs into account. Race drivers like to sit low for better center of gravity, but you may want the superior visibility that comes with sitting higher for daily commuting, for instance. The goal is to maintain control of your car, and that may take experimentation and research on your particular vehicle and even your own body.
If you have to angle your Ferrari steering wheel down or move the pedals farther away, so be it. Personalization is what makes our cars more a part of ourselves, from ergonomic adjustments to design and decorative festoonery. Maybe avoid bedazzling your steering wheels into fragmentation grenades, though.
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