Car seat economics

If you work somewhere in the bay area of California, your commute is likely over half an hour each way, which means that you’re seated in your car for at least one hour every day. This is why it’s important to apply proper ergonomics to your seated position when in the car. It also impacts your overall economics and health. In this article, we explain how to properly adjust yourself when sitting in a car we’ll also talk about what duration would indicate a time to stretch and the best stretches to do when sitting in a car for too long. 

We ideally want to design and adjust our vehicles to support our body's natural posture to offer the best comfort while driving. We also want a position that offers optimal safety, for instance, not being too close to an airbag upon deployment would be a consideration. Also, factors that help us see others on the road including pedestrians is important to co-consider here. Ideally, our pelvis should be upright and not tilted anteriorly or posteriorly. Some drivers sitt either too far back or too far forwards towards the steering wheel, forcing arms to extend forwards which places pressure on the shoulders while operating the wheel. It also can curl the upper back and cause the shoulders and neck to protract forwards. This can lead to muscle stiffness and nerve impingement. Too far forwards is also a problem if the seat dumping the body forwards without the upper back supported by the back of the seat can also lead to back, pelvic, and hip posture issues. Seat heights need to allow for the driver to see clearly over the dashboard directly down off of the hood of the car. Imagine a small kid running into the street. This is especially true for pickup trucks and other cars high to the ground. Distance to the pedals is important as reaction time can be affected by the distance and height. This is not only a safety concern but an ergonomic one, especially if you drive a manual transmission car. Headrest, seat pan, and back angle have to all be synced together based on your stature and anthropometrics which is typically performed by an ergonomic specialist that has experience doing this type of work. If you are looking for a specialist in the Palo Alto or Greater Bay Area that can provide a car fitting ergonomic assessment, call Ergobility today.