When you drive a car, you need to control its steering. When you ride in an SUV or truck, your feet must control the gas and brake.
Steering has several benefits when it comes to driving skills. You can learn how to use it by practicing in traffic or outside of the car during parking instruction or while loading and unloading.
It is also a great way to improve your visibility. When driving with the wheel at an angle, as in pull/push steering, you can apply more force with just your foot. This can be very effective for improving your visibility when driving at night or in bad weather.
How does pull/push steering works? Let’s say we want to pull into our driveway. We start off with the car on a paved road, then we take a hill, and finally we get to our door.
Easier setup
When you drive with the handbrake in the low-hand position, you can easily set the steering input by pressing the brake or accelerator pedal. This is very convenient when parking or turning a corner.
You can also easily adjust your feedback by shifting into one of the steering inputs. So, for example, if you want more power in the steering, then change which pedal you hold down to increase power in that direction. Or if you want softer feedback, then release one of those two pedals and that will be the case!
This is very helpful when getting into and out of cars, as there is no guessing which pedal needs to be held to put power on or off the car.
Less obstruction of vision
A remarkably small percentage of drivers finds the low-hand position obstructive. This is due to the large testicles in the picture, which can induce erections when pressed against a driver’s perineum.
This is not a desirable side effect! However, if you find this as uncomfortable as I do, then you should change your steering style to something else. The lower hand position is much more obstructed than the high-hand position, making the low-hand position look more natural and stronger.
Again, this is not a quality that all drivers have in equal measure, so there are always some people who need a puller to switch on. A little hand positioning adjustment can go a long way toward improving your feeling with these drivers and treating any pain or discomfort they may be experiencing.
Less stress on arms and shoulders
The low-arm position is more naturally relaxing, and allowing the steering wheel to constantly be held in that position can greatly stress the arms and shoulders.
To keep your driver alert, you must be able to make quick decisions. When a decision has to be made quickly, such as when changing lanes or turning a corner, the arms and shoulders must be fully engaged.
By having the steering wheel held in the low-hand position, your driver’s hands are in a more relaxed state. This also helps reduce pain in your drivers and passengers, since people may feel less stressed.
Another benefit of the low-hand position is that it reduces fat transfer to the hands from the desk or work surface. This can contribute to hand pain or rheumatoid factor (a condition where blood cells contain extrafat), which may prevent good skin from drying out after hours of working with a computer or phone at an office.
Easier maneuverability
Steering can be tricky in the low-hand position. There are a few maneuvers you can do without shifting the steering position, but then you lose some of the advantages of that position.
The low-hand position does have some benefits, though. You can hold the wheel with your hand at this point, allowing more control over the steering than when you need to shift it. Or you can just let go!
Moving the foot away from the brake or gas makes room for a leg in front of the wheel, allowing for a more aerodynamic stance. With less space taken up, you can put more decorations on your car.
Better precision
At the very low-hand position, your fingers are close to the wheel, so you have more precision when turning the steering wheel. This is important when you are backing up or changing direction in a turn.
When turning the wheel in a 90-degree angle turn, your fingers have to move slightly before the opposite side of the wheel is turned. That movement of slightly shifting the finger requires more precision when doing a 90-degree turn than one that is encompassing, like with a thumb and forefinger.
There are several reasons for this. One is that during a 180-degree turn, only one side of the car needs to be moved at a time. With both hands holding the same side of the car, one has more difficulty getting it ready for another hit on its mark in order to make another turn.
With only one hand on top of the steeringwheel to facilitate switching directions on a turn, there is more need for additional accuracy in doing an accurate 180-degree turn.
A lower hand position is better for maintaining balance
In the low-hand position, you can maintain a steady pressure on the brake or accelerator to keep your vehicle balanced. This is important when you are maneuvering in tight spaces or when you need to stop quickly.
When you drive with the hands on the wheel and the accelerator or brake, there is always a moment when both controls must be used. This is true whether driving in front or behind the driver.
While some drivers use a two-hander on the steering column to adjust brakes or acceleration, most cables are right-handed. So, if you are left handed, you will need a different cable than someone who is right handed.
The advantage of the lower hand position in keeping balance is not totally clear to me.
Reduced risk of injury
When you turn your car engine off, you also remove the risk of electrical shock or injury caused by an open flame, electric arc, or hot object.
When you shift a car using the manual transmission, you add the risk of broken bones and internal injuries due to over-familiarity with that operating procedure.
Using a push/pull steering system reduces these risks significantly as it removes the need for driver skill and control.
Drivetrain problems are much more likely to be isolated and resolved quickly with no return trips to the dealer.
Driver skill is still required when changing gears or turning a corner, but driving is less stressful because of reduced hand-eye coordination required.
Returning the steering column to its low-hand position can also be done using simple pull/push action instead of having to depress and release the shift knob.
