Car Ergonomics

You may be familiar with the term ergonomics, which can be defined as the study of people’s working environment by designing and arranging things most efficiently and safely.  Often, it is associated with workplace/office setup.  Several factors have probably already been considered to accommodate your office setups, such as chair height, distance from the monitor, and body posture. But there are places beyond the workplace where we spend a great deal of time sitting. A common complaint reported by most drivers is low back pain, stiff neck, leg and foot cramps, and sore shoulders.  Fortunately, there are many adjustments that you can make to help you prevent aches and pains and increase blood flow/circulation. 

5 Tips for pain-free road trips

So how does ergonomics translate to the driver’s seat?  Car ergonomics will bring your body and pain to a whole new level…and hopefully, help to prevent it!  Start by incorporating these 5 tips today!  And remember, if it’s too overwhelming or you need more help, schedule a free assessment at any of our locations and a therapist would be glad to help you!  You can schedule online or call (855) 477-8463

#1) Getting in and out

• When getting into a vehicle, sit down first with both feet on the ground. Then, swivel your body by bringing your legs around to the pedals using the steering wheel to assist.
• Put large objects (shopping bags, purses, briefcases, laptops) in the back seat or trunk before you get in.

#2) Stretching routine

Download our app & use access code 8ZXJW7FB to get the road trip stretching routine on your apple or android.

#3) Seat adjustments

1. Seat height – raise the seat as high as you can but still be comfortable.  This will help decrease low back stress.  This height also will optimize your vision through the windows. You should be able to see at least 76 mm (3 in) over the top of the steering wheel. Ensure that you have sufficient room between the roof and the top of your head. Adjust the mirrors (including review) after you have finished setting all of the other features.

2. Seat cushion length, if possible – adjust the seat length so that the back of your knees is about 3 – 6 cm (about 1-1/4 to 2-3/8 in) from the front on the seat.

3. Seat forward/back position – move the seat forward until you can easily push the pedals through their full range with your whole foot, not just your toes.   Knees should be bent to between 45 and 60 degrees.  This will take a tremendous amount of stress off your low back by decreasing the stretch on the muscles in the back of your legs (Hamstrings)! You may have to readjust the seat height to get better control of the pedals.

4. Seat cushion angle – tilt the seat cushion until your thighs are supported along the full length of the cushion without there being pressure at the back of your knees.

5. Seat angle:  seat angle should be very close to 90 degrees.  This angle will put the least amount of pressure on your back. If you are leaning too far back, you may end up bending your head and neck forward, which may cause muscle fatigue, neck or shoulder pain, tingling in the fingers, etc.

6. Lumbar support – adjust the lumbar support up-and-down and in-and-out until you feel an even pressure along your back from the hips to shoulder height. As this point, the seat back should feel comfortable and there should be no gaps or pressure points in the back support area.  Make sure your back part of your butt is in contact with the back of the seat.  This will prevent slouching and poor posture.

5. Steering wheel – adjust the steering wheel for height or tilt and pull it back for easy reach. Arms should never be fully extended as this position causes the shoulders to be too far forward adding increase stress to the shoulder and neck region.  The center of the steering wheel should be about 10 – 12 in from the driver’s breastbone. The closer you are to the air bag, the higher the possibility of injury if the air bag deploys, even if you are wearing a seat belt.

• If your steering wheel can be tilted up-and-down, tilt it so the air bag behind the center of the steering wheel is pointing to your chest, not your head and neck or your stomach. In addition, your arms should be in a comfortable position (not too high or too low).

8. Head restraint (head rest) – while sitting, raise the head restraint until the top of it is level with top of your head. If the head restraint can be tilted, adjust the angle of the head restraint until it feels comfortable.  Ideally, you should ALWAYS have your back of your head touching the head rest.  This decreases the stress to the neck region considerably!

9. Fine tuning – you may have to go through steps 1 – 8 again if you need to optimize the way that vehicle cab fits you. You should be able to reach and operate all of the controls, pedals, the steering wheel, etc.  Once you feel that you have obtained the correct settings you adjust your side and review mirrors.  This will help you detect in the future if your posture is good.  For example, if you notice while you’re driving that you’re not able to see correctly in your review mirror the likelihood is that the back of your head has come off of your headrest!  

#4) Change & break

• Just like in an office setting, frequent breaks are required while driving too. The standard is to take a short break for every hour of driving. During these breaks, it’s important to get out, walk around and do some stretches (See above for stretches) to reduce the amount of stress that was put on your body by remaining in the same position for that time period.
• Change your posture as much as possible. If possible, change driving duties with your passengers. Check in frequently to make sure your maintaining a good posture, for example making sure my butt is touching the back of my seat or my head is resting on the headrest. 
• If you are driving long distances, take frequent breaks. Get out of the vehicle and do some warm-ups and stretches or walk around as often as possible.

#5) Mind your posture

Your back should be straight and supported, our legs should be flat and parallel to the floor, and our hands should be at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel and slightly bent (approximately 30 degrees). But how often have you pinched your phone between your shoulder and your ear while you were checking your hair in the rearview mirror and waving another driver over while you were driving?

Every moment of bad posture can contribute to your daily pain, and you spend more time in your car than you think. Trips to the store, weekend road trips, sitting in line at the gas station or the ATM, or going to pick up food all adds up.

Most of us don’t think about our car ergonomics from day to day, but they’re more important than you may realize. Proper driving posture can reduce pain and make long drives easier to manage. Make sure you’re sitting up straight in your seat and that your spine and joints are getting plenty of support.  Hopefully, the tips above will help you, but remember we are here if you need us!  Take advantage of our free assessment offer! Schedule online or call (855) 477-8463 for a location near you.