Hands-on tips for drivers

ALASTAIR SLOANE talks to driving professionals about
the pros and cons of the 10-2 and 9-3 positions.

What did your driving instructor tell you? Put your hands on the steering wheel at 10-2, or 9-3?

The 10-2 position is the traditional favourite because, in theory, a higher grip gives the driver better control, certainly in the days when the steering wheel was bigger in diameter and it took Popeye-like arm muscles to turn it.

The 10-2 grip mostly kept your thumbs away from the spokes then, too. This was important on the farm, where the front wheels of the old tractor or truck, under full lock and over rough ground, might slip off a clump of dirt.

This would often cause the steering wheel and its spokes to spin violently back to the straight-ahead position, sometimes whacking a thumb on the way. This would hurt.

The trend nowadays, what with smaller-diameter wheels, power-assisted steering, better ergonomics and an emphasis on improved driving techniques, is towards the 9-3 position.

New Zealand racing drivers Greg Murphy, Ashley Stitchbury and Shane Drake drive at 9-3. Stitchbury says it gives them better control.

"It's got a lot to with modern power steering and the position of the spokes," he says.

"Both positions come into conversation all the time, but I've found that the higher you hold your hands on the wheel the more chance they have of slipping, especially with the stresses in a racing car.

"Holding my hands at 9-3 with my thumbs hooked in the spokes gives me more strength to pull and push on the wheel. It gives me maximum control."

Law enforcement agencies in the trend-setting United States have moved away from 10-2 towards 9-3. The American Automobile Association recommends 9-3. The California Highway Patrol is going as low as 8-4.

The reason? Airbags mostly.

During a collision an airbag will explode out at more than 160 km/h, protecting the driver's head and chest against hitting the steering wheel.

But with the hands at 10-2 or higher on the wheel, researchers say the airbag can throw a driver's arms back into his or face as it deploys.

America's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration takes a neutral position on the grip, saying there is not enough evidence of arms or wrists being broken by exploding airbags to recommend 9-3 over 10-2 or anything else.

But it does say that the arms of drivers holding the steering at 10-3 are not as likely to be caught between their bodies and the airbag.

A California police chief sent his officers to a driver training course where the recommended position was 7-5.

"The reason is to ensure that if they crash and the airbag goes off, the driver's arms are pushed down or out, not up," he says.

"But keep in mind that all this controversy about hand positions is targeted towards training drivers of emergency vehicles in high-risk situations."

The California Highway Patrol approves 10-2, 9-3 - and 8-4. The reason? "All vehicle steering wheels and airbags are not created equal," says Pete Barra, the patrol's public relations officer for the San Francisco Bay area. "Not to mention the comfort level of the driver's hand position."

The New Zealand Road Code recommends 10-2. "It also has advice on other positions and driving techniques such as pull and push and changing hands on the wheel," says Land Transport Safety Authority spokesman Craig Dowling.

"But driving instructors would keep an eye out to make sure the right techniques are being followed."

Auckland instructor and safety campaigner Wayne Price recommends 9-3. "There are two schools of thought, but I prefer 9-3 because the hands are better balanced and there is less strain on the shoulders.

"Drivers in the 10-2 position also tend to pull down on the wheel to steer it. I teach pull and push steering control and 9-3 suits that.

"I believe 9-3 is more accurate and balances the car better. You steer into a left-hand bend by pulling down on the wheel with your left hand and pushing with your right. You set the car up for a right-hand bend by pulling down with your right hand and pushing with your left.

"It gives you better control. Also, the position of your hands shows the car's direction at all times. Once they are back at 9-3 you know the wheels are on the straight-ahead.

"If you shuffle the wheel around bends you have to shuffle it back to the straight-ahead again. You never have the car fully under control."

Price says 9-3 is safer with airbags. "Drivers come to me for training and immediately put the car through the first corner by crossing-up their arms. If an airbag went off it would break them."

The licensing of driving instructors in New Zealand is about to change. At the moment, LTSA compliance officers assess each applicant. But their role is soon to be taken over by "approved providers from the industry training sector."

The LTSA says: "This will allow for more flexible delivery and also allow the driver-training industry to take a greater role in its own development.

"These approved providers will also provide training to assist applicants to meet the standards required. Of course, the cost of the training and assessment will be borne by the applicant."