h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Overall a good article, but with a couple of inaccuracies.

1) Don't adjust your seat so your arms are outstretched, this actually gives you least control over the steering wheel, your arms should have a shallow bend in them, look at any in-car footage of a racing driver, you will not see their arms outstretched, and as someone who holds a racing licence I can assure you that the best position to control a car.

2) Camber, roads do not have camber just on corners, all roads have camber, this is to allow rain to flow off the road surface, try this when you get chance (when it is safe to do so of course), take your hands off the wheel on what you think it a straight and level piece of road, your car will have a tendency to drift to the near side, this is because of the camber on the road.

OK, taking your points in turn:

1) The point about moving your seat back is not that it gives you better control, but that it is safer.

2) You're right about camber. Can you suggest a rewording of the footnote that takes that into account?

<>

Safer than what?

Safer in which situation?

Certainly limits the amount of physical control one can exercise over the steering, having one's arms outstretched.[It's a matter of body mechanics]

Over a long period of time , outstretched arms can be quite fatiguing.

I can appreciate problems regarding deployment of airbags, however...perhaps a reason why I don't like them?

And won't own a car that has them!


In the end, one's arm position should be, whatever is comfortable for the individual [remember, age has its effects]...and a position whereby the driver can exert any necessary leverage on the steering wheel.

The correct term is "crossfall" which is the angle of an imaginary straight line drawn between the two sides of the road.

The "camber" is the deviation of the centre of the road from that line. Camber is usually present on even a flat road : it helps water to run off the road.

1) I don't think you mean that outstretched arms are safer. I believe you mean merely less at risk of injury from the airbag (or steering wheel if no airbag is fitted). This is more an issue of airbag design (or seatbelt design?) than one of road safety. Your driving will certainly be safer if you do not take this advice. Your main duty of care is of course to other road users, not to yourself.

3) I must add that heel-and-toe-type driving techniques should on no account be attempted on the road by anyone not already experienced in using them under zero traffic conditions.

Thanks for the reply, but also taking your points one at a time.

1) Sorry still disagree with that, safety is and should be a (only just) secondary consideration over maintaining full and proper control of the vehicle. I think we'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

2) Would be very happy to do so, let me give it some thought, as roads can have positive, negative and neutral camber, and depending on what the road presents you with very much depends on how quickly (or not) you can drive it .

I'm willing to change the Entry if you can agree on what the wording should be.

One of the roads near where I live has a very sharp left hand bend that dips into the corner, camber. It's very helpful in a morning on the way to work as it helps me corner on my Motorbike.