• neatchee@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    If you were ever taught that when driving you should have your hands on the wheel at “10 and 2”, they changed that lesson for the same reason: airbags would push your arms up and away from your body, breaking your arms or dislocating shoulders.

    They now recommend “8 and 4” instead so your elbows are pushed mostly down and back into the seat cushion

    They also stopped teaching people to turn the wheel “hand over hand” for the same reason. If your arms are crossed when the airbag goes off it’s a bad time.

    Instead, you’re supposed to keep your hands on the bottom half of the wheel, sliding one hand around the wheel in the opposite direction of rotation as the other hand turns the wheel. So if you’re turning right, i.e. rotating the wheel clockwise, you would start with your right hand at 4 and left hand at 8. Then, as your right hand is rotating the wheel clockwise - down and left, from 4 to 6 - slide your left hand from 8 to 6 where it will meet your right hand. Now switch grip so your left hand is rotating the wheel - left and up, from 6 to 8 - while sliding your right hand back to 4 from 6. Repeat.