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Car seats and driving are not good news for backs. Below is a list of five simple tests you can do to see if your car suits your build. You can also fnd valuable information about the ergonmics of cars on the excellent website www.car-seat-data.com.
If you are doing a long journey stop every hour or so and get out for a short walk for a few minutes. Make sure your low back is supported by a lumbar roll. Or if your car seat has an inbuilt adjustable support make sure it sits in the hollow of your back, not betywen the shoulder blades or around your bottom.
If your back is acutely painful avoid car journeys as a driver or passenger if you can (Just to the osteopath and back!)
Car seats can be adjusted to suit your posture but make sure that you always:
1. Keep your seat reasonably upright, leaning backwards only at a slight angle.
2. Keep the headrest adjusted so that the centre of the headrest is level with your eyes. Don’t
set the headrest too low as this can allow more serious injury in an accident.
3. When getting in, sit first then swing your legs into the car. When you get out, move the seat
back before swinging your legs out.
4. Do you ‘ride the clutch’, resting your foot in the air? No wonder your ankles or calf muscles
hurt.
5. To relax, raise your shoulders to your ears breathing in, and then lower them as you breathe out. You may want to do this at every red traffic light, or major junction.
6. Avoid reaching behind to get bags from the rear seat. Don’t be lazy. Get out and open the door.
7. Be careful when loading and unloading. Lift correctly.
8. Avoid lifting unnecessary weights. Get help to change a tyre.
9. Sit with arms gently bent at the elbow to the wheel and don’t lean forward out of the seat.
10. Wear a seat belt and make sure it is properly adjusted. Make sure children also have appropriate seat belts and cushions.
Five simple tests tocheck the driving position and control layout of a car
1) The Praying Test. Sitting in the driver's seat, place the hands together,fingertips and palms touching, pointing outwards from the chest as if praying.The wrists should actually be touching the chest. In this position the handswill form a fairly accurate perpendicular to the body and it should be possibleto see if they are pointing at the centre of the steering wheel. If they arenot then the wheel may be offset.
2) The Fist Test. With the seat in the normal driving position ( i.e. a position where theclutch can be fully depressed without stretching and the hips well back into the seat) make a fistwith the left hand keeping the thumb to the side of the index finger. The depthof such a fist will measure approximately 50mm and it should be possible toplace the fist on the crown of the head. If it is only possible to insert theflat of the hand between the roof and head then there is insufficient headroom.
3) The Look Down Test. With both hands placed evenly on the steering wheel look downat the legs. It should be possible to see equal amounts of both legs betweenthe arms. Frequently the left leg will be visible but the right leg will beobscured by the right arm which may indicate that the shoulder girdle isrotated to the left in relation to the pelvis.
4) The Right Leg Test. This test should be performed after driving the car for a shortwhile. Once again, look down and examine the position of the right leg. Is itelevated above the level of the left or has it fallen out towards the edge ofthe seat? Is the right foot roughly in line with the thigh as it should be orhas it had to come across towards the centre of the car?
5) The Kerb Height Test. Swing the right leg out of the car as though getting out, andplace the right foot on the ground. Try and ensure the lower leg (shin &calf ) is in a vertical position. Now look at the surface of the right thigh.It should be sloping down towards the knee. If it is sloping upwards (ie if the knee is higher than the hip) you will have difficulty when exiting this vehicle.
If the car can pass these five simple tests then there is a good chance that it is suitable for that particular driver. By utilising the tests, a prospective purchaser should be able to produce a short list of suitable vehicles, from which they can then make a choice. © BryanMcIlwraith Bsc. (Hons) DO
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