How to Adjust Your Car Seat Position for Maximum Safety
Have you ever considered how dangerous a car seat can be?
You’ll be shocked to discover that in many cases, it can prove fatal. In most cars, the seatbelt attaches to the car chassis, but the buckle moves with the seat, creating support in the wrong areas of your body.
Now that “adjust car seat” is at the top of your to-do list, here’s how to adjust your car seat position properly.
Electric or Manual Controls?
Firstly, we would recommend reading the car manual to find the correct instructions. However, if you don’t have access to it, there are some easy ways you can work out how to move the seats.
Where seats are manual, the controls typically consist of a metal bar underneath the chair’s front for easy reach. A rotating dial on the chair’s side exists for lumbar support, and a hydraulic lever controls the height, often situated next to the door.
There will be buttons either on the seat or nearby to adjust the position in nearly every electric case. In some luxury cars such as a Tesla, the vehicle has a self-adjusting car seat which memorizes the seating position. Once you’ve finished this setup, that should be your go-to setting as you are guaranteed the safest, most comfortable seating position every time.
Adjust Car Seat for Safety and Comfort
Firstly, make sure that you can hold your arms out straight and your wrists rest on the steering wheel. Then, check you can push the pedals in fully, especially the brake for an emergency stop. If you have a short leg, you can recline your seat and, if your car has this feature, push the steering wheel in to allow for extra arm room.
Then, you can adjust the height. You should allow for enough visibility in front, but being too high can result in low visibility behind you. Once this sets, use the steering wheel rake to reset your wrist position, and repeat the process until you are happy you’ve met all the criteria.
From there, make sure you can reach and see everything you need to. You can set your lumbar support and make sure you are comfortable on longer journeys, and the headrest, despite its name, isn’t for resting. Set at head height to protect yourself from serious injury a shunt.
Why Seat Adjustment Is So Important
It’s vital to protect yourself from serious injury. Even if you aren’t in an accident, having your seat in the wrong place can irritate the skin on your neck if it cuts in or around the waist. Take the time to adjust car seat settings, and you’ll be set.
Especially if you drive for long periods, lumbar support is a must-have to alleviate back pain, but an incorrect seating position can render it useless and, in some cases, cause more back pain.
Further, by putting pressure on the wrong areas of your body, a seatbelt will likely have less of an effect, as the force on your body will be more in some areas and weaker in others. Keep browsing for more ways to stay safe and look after yourself!
