It is important to be comfortable when sitting in the vehicle seat, whether you are the driver or passenger. This will both make your trip more enjoyable and will make it much safer.
But beware: comfort does not mean sitting “out of position”, such as resting your feet on the dashboard or keeping the seatback excessively reclined – situations where there is a risk of serious injury.
The proper posture when sitting is the one that offers comfort, reduces the physical wear and tear of the individual and allows greater efficiency of the seat belt and airbag if necessary.
Recommendations - Driver
- Keep arms and legs slightly bent when holding the steering wheel and operating the pedals. A good reference is to stretch your arm by placing your fist over the top of the steering wheel.
- Support your body well on the seat and your back against the seatback.
- Adjust the headrest so that the center of the headrest is at eye level. The headrest helps prevent the head from shifting excessively backwards in the event of rear impacts, reducing the chance of spinal injuries.
- Try to keep your heels on the floor of the vehicle.
- Position so that you can see the information on the instrument panel.
- Avoid putting your foot on the clutch pedal when not changing gears.
- Hold the steering wheel with both hands, positioning them in the form of “9 h and 15 min”. That is, at the horizontal ends.
- Wear your seat belt.
Recommendations - Passenger
- Support your body well on the seat and your back against the seatback.
- Adjust the headrest in both the front and back seats.
- Position the bench so that it coincides with the door post. In the event of a transverse collision, the column bar may offer more protection to the passenger.
- Wear your seat belt.
- NEVER place your feet on the dashboard as injuries could be fatal in a collision.
See also your owner's manual for more information on seat adjustment and ergonomics.
