The benefits of having your car seat set correctly

While driving a car, one must always make sure that the driver's seat is positioned correctly and that one can drive with ease. Adjusting the seat correctly lets the driver have better control over the vehicle and causes less fatigue on longer drives

Better control

When your arms are straight you don’t have as much leverage and it’s more difficult to make quick turns of the wheel. When you are too close, you are too cramped up against the steering wheel and your elbows will hit your torso or parts of the car.

Less fatigue

When your arms are straight there is more weight tugging against your grip on the wheel, and you will expend more energy to make the micro-movements required to keep the car on the road.

Better blind spot visibility

As a driver, you should know where the blind spots in your car are. It’s basic but critical information emphasised by driving institutions – even some cheap online traffic schools highlight the importance of blind spot knowledge on their courses.

Having your seat too far forward makes the blind spot over your shoulders bigger – i.e. you have to turn your head more to see into the blind spot. Having your seat reclined unnecessarily means your eyes are closer to the level of the bottom of the window, reducing your visibility. Putting the seat as far back as is comfortable tends to give the best visibility, although those who are really tall can sometimes find the B pillar (the door pillar) obstructs their view.

Less risk of injury

You should be at least 25cm from your steering wheel otherwise you risk being injured if the airbag goes off. These injuries can range from burns from the gunpowder igniting through to a broken nose or black eye. If you don’t have an airbag then you should definitely endeavour to keep your face away from the steering wheel.