DRIVING POSITION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 248, 10 June 1932, Page 2

DRIVING POSITION

BUILDERS NOW CONSTRUCTING ADJUSTABLE SEATS. In some models insuffieient room is allowed for the driver to sit comfortably behind the wheel and manipulate with ease the brake and clutch pedals. In particular some coupe types appear to cramp the average-sized man, insuffieient room being left between front of the driver's seat and the tops of the pedals. One prominent bodybuilder, approached on the suhject, admitted that several instances had re'cently come under his notice, where drivers were thus handicapped. His measurements for a coupe are 39 inches from the front of the squab at the back of the driver to the tops of the pedals, and 18 inches from the front of the seat to the top of the pedals; measurements that should, it is claimed, ensure driving comfort for a six foot man. Admittedly it is not an easy matter to build seating accommodation to suit all shapes and sizes of drivers, and to overcome the difficulty many body manufacturers are fitting adjustable driving seats. The designers of "sports" bodies appear to pay more attention to this important matter, perhaps because the owners of sports models usually insist on a comfortable and efficient driving position. After all, an easy posture behind the wheel, with the feet Teaching naturally on to the pedals, means mueh to the motorist wh'o sits for hours at the wheel. The matter of brake and clutch pedal appiication is the key to correct seating, because it fixes an essential meaSurement in accordance with the dimensions of the driver. With the feet lightly resting in position on the pedals, the lower part of the leg should only be at a gentle angle to the thigh, while the seat should give a reasonable amount of support under the knees. The front edge of the seat cushion should be quite flexible to permit of straightening the leg with ease, when operating the clutch or brake pedal.