Poll on how you hold your Steering Wheel

[BlueJazz]

I notice a lot of people (here in Florida) keep 2 hands on their Steering Wheel, which in itself is not a bad thing but I for one, find it extremely uncomfortable and "Stiff"
How do you drive?

[Ian David]

1. Other

I hug it to my face as I text message.

[Demoiselle]

37. I'm really only comfortable with two hands on the wheel.

...At 9:30 and 2:30 if you must know.

[mamaleah]

2. I confess the one arm resting on the window thing.

I know I should have both hands on the wheel at 10 and 2 or 9 and 3. However I find it more comfortable to have an elbow on the window.

[NightWatcher]

3. I use my knee if I'm eating at the time or hitting the bong

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

22. Your not the only one...

[madokie]

26. or rolling a dubie

not anymore but that was true years ago.

Forgot: For the last 20 or so years its hands at 10 and 2 for me

[pipi_k]

30. I knew a guy who could steer with his willie

He was pretty good except for those wide curves...

[DCKit]

43. Steer? I use mine for braking. n/t

[reflection]

66. As long as you don't drive this...

[ecstatic]

53. My ex does that. It really got on my nerves

That's WAY too laid back. I think people should be somewhat serious when behind the wheel!

[mitchum]

4. Left hand on the wheel...I'm a chain smoker

[John Q. Citizen]

5. 10 and 2 or with my knee.

[AzNick]

54. 2:10 as well. It's the right way.

You don't drive with your hands at 9:15, it's the dumbest way to hold a wheel.

Knees? LOL ok I hope I'm never in front of out.

[ThomWV]

65. +2

[Maru Kitteh]

6. I picked 9 and 3, but it's really like 8 and 4

Sometimes the left arm sits on the window ledge.

[mwooldri]

50. Do you drive a truck or bus?

With some of the older buses back home in the UK, I notice the drivers usually use the 8 and 4 position rather than the 10 and 2, primarily because the steering wheel is placed different - way different compared to a car. If you try 10 and 2 with one of these, you'd be hunchbacked over the wheel all the time.

[Maru Kitteh]

60. Fantastic insight! I drove an International truck.

Loved it like a child.

[Newshues]

7. um, that last three and....

....knees.


Not sure how many thousands of miles I've logged with knees.

I think the best trick was driving a standard to the hospital with the shifting arm and clutch leg utterly useless for the task - hence why I was going to the hospital.

[Chemisse]

27. Hahah - am trying to picture how you did that

I used to swear by standards, but now have sunk into the decadent luxury of an automatic. My excuse is I am always spraining my left ankle (unrelated to clutching), so how would I drive?

[Newshues]

49. easier than you think

Think about it. You start in second instead of first and let the clutch out slow to get going. After you get going you have time manage everything else.

At the time I was driving a corolla and the clutch on that was extremely forgiving.

Loved that car, did everything I asked of it and a lot more than I expected it to be able to. One time, on the way to work doing 60 in a 55, this guy thought he had enough room to take a left turn from a side road in front of me. He did have enough time and everything would have worked great but he decided, after he had his van across my entire lane, that he didn't and he STOPPED. No shit. Well, actually, it was an OH SHIT! moment.

Went from 5th to second, cut the wheel, pumped the breaks and by the grace of god(dess) slide between two cars coming the other way and came to a stop facing the right way in the break down lane heading in the opposite direction I was coming from. I was completely fucking livid at the guy for stopping. Only thing on my mind was hauling the guy out of his van and beating the tar out of him. Not nice, I know, but stupidity that puts my life in jeopardy has that effect on me.

I failed at opening the door and that re-engaged the more rational part of my brain. By the time I had the door open I was more than willing to settle for just yelling at the guy a little. He was getting out of his van before I moved from my car ( he'd pulled up in front of me ) and it's this older gentleman, white hair, white beard, jeans, suspenders, big ol' pot belly and a Deere cap. He is clutching his chest and I'm like "oh shit, he better not be having a heart attack". Rational part of the brain has fully re-engage at the sight of him and I'm trying to figure out which hospital is closest and do I remember enough from CPR class.

He's all apologetic, explained his thinking for stopping like he did and says "I thought for sure I had you when I saw you put that car up on two wheels." I had no idea I did that. Whole time he's talking he's still clutching his chest and I'm just trying to calm him down, assure him that everything is ok and it's no big deal. We talked for about 5 minutes or so.

After his color returned to his face, him telling me a few times he felt fine and that he was only heading about a half mile down the road to the farmer's supply store I was ok with heading off to work. Did put the idea of a heart attack in his head and I figure a guy that age dressed like that is probably a regular at the farmer's supply so they'd know him and know if he was out of sorts.

Loved that car, it took good care of me. End up selling it to a co-worker for next to nothing after I got a job in walking distance of where I lived. She needed it a heck of a lot more than I did.

[Chemisse]

64. What a great story - really lucky you excaped disaster

Maybe if I ever do some stupid thing that inspires road rage in others, I will clutch at my chest too, lol.

That does show the advantage of a standard, being able to downshift is a lot better than just slamming on the brakes.

[BlooInBloo]

8. Varies. If I'm driving seriously on a course, 10-2/9-3 generally.

(depending on if there's a big turn coming up)

[abumbyanyothername]

Right hand on top,usually.

Sometimes, 2 and 7.

By the way, we were taught 10 and 2 in Driver's Ed in Council Bluffs, circa 1972.

[tridim]

9. Left hand on the wheel, right on the stick shift.

Two on the wheel at 10 and 2 during rush hour.

[SIMPLYB1980]

14. Same here.

I've been driving a straight drive since I learned how to drive.

[tridim]

33. I'm going to miss 5-speeds when they finally phase them out.

Electrics will kill the manual transmission, but I guess that's just progress.

I've never owned an automatic either because I enjoy shifting and saving gas in the process.

[SIMPLYB1980]

34. Yeah I was thinking of that the other day.

I wonder if their would be a way for them to simulate the feel of a straight drive with an electric motor. I would actually be willing to pay extra for it.

[tridim]

39. Yea, I might consider that.. But it wont be the same

I've heard some of the upcoming electric cars have really great acceleration, something like 4 second 0-60. In that case the G's might make up for the lack of a stick. That's go-kart level acceleration!

[SIMPLYB1980]

41. Yeah the acceleration is the one thing that makes up

for the lack of shifting. Well at least I think it would. Unfortunately I have yet to have a chance to drive an eclectic car.

[still_one]

10. You left out steering with your legs category /nt

[tridim]

13. Years ago, one super cold morning I drove 5 miles to highschool with just my legs

Froze my ass off that day. Fiat heaters take awhile to get cranking.

[still_one]

56. LOL /nt

[polichick]

11. I don't do the ledge thing since a big ass truck rammed into my door...

...when changing lanes ~ my arm would've been torn off or crushed if I'd been driving that way. Scary.

[marmar]

12. One handed roller here......

..... As I cruise I-75 in and around the D.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

15. 10 and 2 because of air bag.

[seabeyond]

16. i do the last three, but arm out window most, so hit that vote. nt

[havocmom]

17. 10 and 2

No phone while driving.

[etherealtruth]

29. Same here

[Rick Myers]

18. Smoking, talking on the cell phone and driving with my knees...

Oh, wait, that's the girl that hit my wife last week driving a Ford F-150...

[HopeHoops]

19. They're teaching the kids to use 4 and 8 now.

Apparently studies have shown it is safer, partially because it reduces arm fatigue. I've never been able to drive that way. I often use right at 12 and left at 9 with the pinkie on the turn signal lever. That comes from playing driving games in arcades in the late 70's - Night Rider in particular. It was a simple game with little white pegs on either side of the track you had to work through to get through the course. Steering wheel, gas pedal, and white rectangles on a black screen. Damn I was good at that.

[Lagomorph]

25. 10 & 2

on the freeway

4 & 8 in traffic, unless shifting.

[HopeHoops]

45. They just told us 10/2 - but that was late 70's.

My daughter's say the 4/8 thing is currently considered safer but I find it awkward.

[Lagomorph]

59. 4 & 8 Keeps your arms away from airbags...

still not used to it.

[HopeHoops]

67. WHOA! I never thought of that!

I'll have to ask my daughter (when she wakes up) if they mentioned that. They didn't even HAVE air bags when I learned to drive (well, other than on the radio).

[Milspec]

20. Right hand feeling up the girl in the right seat

left holding a joint, steering with my knees.

What a mind numbing dumb poll.

[jannyk]

21. 10 & 2

[NYC_SKP]

23. Other: Left knee on bottom, both hands on iPhone emailing, texting, mapping, etc...

:P

Actually, left arm on open window ledge, hand on wheel at 9:00-ish, most of the time.

[MindPilot]

24. Dr Pepper

10, 2 & 4 unless I'm mixing a drink or twisting up a fattie, then just 4

[pipi_k]

28. Depends on where I'm driving...I've done all of them at one time or another

sometimes even on the same day

:)

[scarletwoman]

31. I steer strictly by the power of my mind using psycho-kinetic energy.

I visualize where I want to go, and then psychicly move the steering wheel in the correct direction.

I thought everyone did this. :shrug:

[ejpoeta]

32. It really depends. If I am nervous or anything, like going through construction

or in bad weather, I keep it at the 10 and 2.... If I am confident and the weather is good and everything, I will drive with my left hand on the wheel either at 9 oclock or at the bottom and my right hand on my lap... (when I had a standard car I had my right hand resting on the stick) But it always depends on the conditions and my mood and confidence. Driving in the city i tend to be very nervous and white knuckled at times. and if a cop is following me, I will drive at 10 and 2 and set my cruise... LOL! i always get nervous.

[LooseWilly]

35. I like to let my steering wheel tell me how it wants to be held...

If the road doesn't suck, I'll go with one hand... I've trained myself to use either though... so that I can smoke with either... especially useful when talking on the phone, changing the radio station, handling a dispatch radio mic, reading a dispatch computer readout, trying to reset the radio's clock, looking for dispatch computer response buttons, rolling a cigarette, adjusting {expletives deleted}, flipping other drivers off, or just picking my nose...
When I hit a mammoth puddle and start to hydroplane on the highway, well I put the second hand on the wheel... though I'm not too particular about the hour. When the lane gets tight, and I'm speeding and passing on a curve with one of those big concrete blocks up to eliminate the shoulder of the highway... then I go with 10 and 2 (no airbags to worry about in the shitboxes I drive) and whiteknuckle it... which can make for some complications if I'm smoking at the time.

When you spend hours and hours and hours and hours on the road though... you gotta mix it up. All of the above. Knees. Elbows. Chin at times. No hands at all... why the hell not? Sometimes the wheel needs a little "alone time".

[cherokeeprogressive]

36. Left hand on wheel, elbow on window normally, with my knee when I'm rollin' a J.

Works pretty well for me.

[msedano]

38. two hands, 7 and 4

air bag goes off, right hand at 1 or 2 and you'll smash the face of your passenger.

[Liberal_in_LA]

58. what!? Nobody does 7:45 and 4:15?

:)

[JimWis]

40. 10 and 2. Almost all of the time.

[ellenfl]

42. actually 10 and 2.

i recall as a teenager being told that it was the law (in florida) that you had to keep two hands on the wheel . . . or my dad was lying to me. :eyes:

ellen fl

[Liberal_in_LA]

57. You beat me to it. I learned that it was 10 and 2. 9 & 3 is a wide stance, for repubs only

[reformedrethug]

44. Depends on my mood

Sometimes I drive with my right arm and have my left arm on the window sill or hanging outside, other times drive with the left and my right on the gear shift. I try to drive with 2 hands and I feel I have less control, almost over steering. The ONLY time I drive with both hands for more than a few moments is in the middle of a snow storm.

[Stinky The Clown]

46. I mostly use my knees because one of my hands is holding the cell phone and the .......

...... other one has the McChicken sandwich.

[michreject]

47. Left hand on wheel, arm on car window ledge

It's comfy this way.

[flvegan]

48. Left hand around 11 o'clock, right hand on the gearshift.

6 speeds of forward fun.

[PSzymeczek]

51. Two hands at 8 and 4

Just because it keeps my hands from going numb.

[ecstatic]

52. Depends on my speed, type of road, and width of lanes

and, of course, traffic. The more uptight I am the more likely I am to be using 2 hands.

[Beer on a stick]

55. 8 and 4. Shuffle steering that they teach at stunt driver's school.

And no, I'm not a stunt driver.

[proteus_lives]

61. Varies.

10 and 2 a lot of times.

Sometimes one hand, especially if I'm smoking.

[timtom]

62. Remember those little knobs called

"suicide knobs?"

I drive as though I'm using one of those, except my forefinger substitutes as point of contact with the steering wheel.

[old mark]

63. Other - two hands on at 10 of 3. I used to drive trucks, and I have seen

too many stupid people driving while applying makeup, eating breakfast, reading a map, sometimes with NO hands, evidently steering with the knees.

I know many people who have had loved ones killed by poor drivers, and try my best to be defensive.

mark

[lunatica]

68. Both hands gripping tightly

Especially on my way to work on the Warren Freeway in the Bay Area. Normal speed is 85 mph and impatient tailgaters are a real menace. I keep a safe distance with all cars in front of me and invariably I'll get tailgated until the ass holes pass me to then rush up to the next car and do the same. It's not fun, but the only way to get to work without hitting major traffic jams.

[kenny blankenship]

69. Middle Fingers extended at 10 and 2

No but seriously 9 and 3, or very close to it is the correct way, unless you're Jean Alesi.