The automotive journalist Adrian Mitrea shows, in a video clip, how to properly keep your hands on the wheel. He explains why the “10 and 14” position, which I learned in driving school, and the “12 o’clock” position are not correct.
The worst driving position. PHOTO: Julius Constantinescu video capture
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Mitrea explained, in a clip posted on Facebook, how to properly keep your hands on the wheel and why the way most driving schools in Romania teach is wrong.
“The worst position is to keep one hand on the steering wheel at 12 o’clock, because if the airbag goes off you will smash your face with your own hand“explained the automotive journalist.
In addition, the possibility of making left-right maneuvers is less than in the correct position, which is “9 – 15”, explained the automotive journalist.
“The correct position is at 9 and 15 and with the fingers held on these bumps. Why so? Because if you hold your fingers like this (see photo 2) in the event of an impact, your fingers will get dislocated. If you hold them like this (photo 1) your hands will slip off the wheel or you will suffer the shock wholeheartedly without running the risk of breaking something. If you look at the EURONCAP tests you will see that the mannequins sit in this position (photo 1). “
He also stated that the 9 – 15 position allows for maximum maneuvering to the left or right so you can avoid an accident, an obstacle or something else. This is why the 10-14 position, recommended in most driving schools in Romania, is not the correct one, says Adrian Mitrea, giving examples of the situations.
Photo 1 – Correct position, 9 and 15 o’clock, fingers on the steering wheel, maximum maneuverability. PHOTO: capture video
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Photo 2 – Wrong position, 10 and 14 o’clock, fingers can be fractured on impact. PHOTO: capture video
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Preventive driving rules
To avoid accidents, it is important that every driver has the rules of preventive driving in mind.
“Each driver must learn over time how to react promptly in the various situations he will have to face in traffic. His attention must be distributed both to the car in front, to what is happening at the intersection where he waits at the traffic lights, but also to the car behind and the pedestrians crossing the street. It is mandatory for him to learn to use his distributive attention“, explains for “The truth” Florin Marin Bogdan, project manager at the Galati Faculty of Engineering.
Failure to prioritize
All of these things are essential in today’s traffic in Romania, because there are four main causes of road accidents: driving without a license and under the influence of alcohol, excessive speeding and failure to prioritize.
Under these conditions, we should not always rely on what other traffic participants are doing, but above all on our skills, which combined with distributive attention will protect us from unwanted road events.
“As we already know, many of the drivers we meet in traffic do not prioritize, although it is obvious that they will cause a traffic accident if the driver who is legally driving does not stop the car or perform an avoidance maneuver. Therefore, a decision must be made. taken in less than a second and the driving experience will count enormously in that moment because it can mean the difference between life and death. “says Florin Marin Bogdan.
Pedestrians
Pedestrians are another extremely important element when it comes to preventative driving. Many road accidents occur due to the carelessness of pedestrians or crossing the road in unauthorized places and without securing themselves.
Equally bad is that many pedestrians just jump at intersections marked by zebras, without making sure in advance if a car is coming and if it has speed and can stop.
“It is extremely important that every time we approach a pedestrian crossing in a car, we reduce our speed and pay close attention to what other drivers are doing. For example, if a driver in the first lane brakes, it is mandatory for us to do the same, because we can wake up with a pedestrian in front of the car just as we cross the pedestrian crossing with the vehicle, and this can only mean one thing: road accident“, Florin Marin Bogdan wants to highlight one of the biggest dangers a driver can face in traffic.
The side mirrors and the rear view mirror
While it may seem surprising, many drivers do not use the side mirrors and the rear view mirror very rarely. These are extremely important to ensure that you can safely exit a car park, for example, but also to observe the behavior of other drivers in traffic and to be able to react in time if they make wrong or careless maneuvers.
“Don’t brake hard without glancing in the rearview mirror, because you may get the unpleasant surprise that the car behind you is hitting you, especially if the driver likes to drive to the limit. Make sure twice when you enter an intersection, even if you have the priority, because there are drivers who do not care about traffic rules and it is good to be cautious. Attention also to motorcycles, because many motorists treat them superficially in traffic, and from here to the occurrence of a road accident it is only a step”Emphasizes Florin Marin Bogdan.
Prompt reaction
Preventive behavior must finally lead to the most important step: the driver’s reaction. When placed in an extreme traffic situation, the driver will have to make the best decision in a split second, which is to brake in time, but not too hard so as not to lock the wheels, cause damage and run the car in an area where he can. avoid a road accident.
“While there seems to be a lot of things to do in an extremely short time, many drivers have developed this skill by consistently practicing preventive driving. This means anticipation, adaptation to traffic conditions and adequate reaction to emerging hazards.“, concludes Florin Marin Bogdan.
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