Steering position. 10 and 2. Time to let it slide?
You probably remember it, some instructors are still clinging on to it now…
“Hands at 10 and 2.”
It was drilled into us like gospel. Sit up straight, look ahead, 10 and 2. End of discussion. And now the internet says it’s dangerous. That if you’re still driving like that, the airbag is going to punch your hands into your face at 200 mph!
Let’s slow that down a bit and check out the real facts.
Where 10 and 2 Came From
Back when cars had bigger steering wheels and no power steering, you needed leverage. Physical leverage. The higher hand position gave you more turning force. It worked. It made sense. It wasn’t some outdated myth invented by grumpy instructors. Sudden need for control? You had it covered with 2 hands and a good grip.
It was right… for the car. Driving advice is always about context. The car changes, so the advice should too.
The Airbag Question
Airbags deploy fast. Really fast. We’re talking roughly 150 to 200 mph as the bag bursts from the steering wheel hub. It inflates in milliseconds, in fact full inflation typically completes in around 20 to 30 milliseconds (a blink of an eye is closer to 100 milliseconds). That’s not instructors using dramatic language, that’s physics. If your hands are high and the airbag deploys, your arms can be forced upward. There are documented injuries to wrists, forearms and occasionally facial injuries.
But here’s the bit social media doesn’t explain very well. It isn’t simply “10 and 2 equals broken nose.” The real risks tend to show up when drivers:
- Cross their arms while steering
- Hook their thumbs inside the wheel
- Brace hard against the wheel just before impact
- Sit too close
So yes, hand position matters, but posture, belt use, and steering technique matter just as much.
But social media always prefers an over stated blanket statement! (Surely we all now know “Flip flops are illegal….” – see those facts here!)
So What’s Recommended Now?
Most modern guidance favours 9 and 3. Not because 10 and 2 is reckless, but because cars have changed. Power steering means you don’t need high leverage anymore. Steering ratios are quicker, airbags deploy from the centre hub, modern wheels are designed around a lower, balanced grip.
At 9 and 3 your arms are more symmetrical. Your shoulders are relaxed. Your steering inputs are cleaner. It supports push pull steering properly. It also happens to line your thumbs up with the buttons on modern wheels, but that’s convenience, not just safety. Even if you prefer 8 and 4 in certain situations? That can work too. Especially on long motorway drives where fatigue becomes a factor. We just have to evaluate and consider the risks.
Control Over Clock Watching
The DVSA does not tell you to hold the wheel at a specific clock position. They care about control, smooth steering, proper technique – all based around control and safety. If someone can demonstrate excellent control and awareness, we are not failing them because their hands are at 9 and 2. That would be absurd. Where the view changes is things like crossed arms at full lock. That’s where control reduces and injury risk increases, it’s the thinking behind the position that matters.
The Real Lesson
This whole debate is a good reminder that driving advice evolves. 10 and 2 wasn’t wrong, it’s just not optimal anymore. Technology changed, airbags became standard, steering became lighter, wheels became smaller and the old rule quietly aged. So quietly, many missed it and are now out of date.
And here’s the bigger point – Driving instruction is full of advice that was right once. The problem is we sometimes teach it as eternal truth instead of context-based guidance and that’s where things get messy. So next time you get in the car, check your grip. If you’re still at 10 and 2, you’re not a menace to society – but shifting to 9 and 3 makes sense in a modern vehicle.
Small adjustment, better alignment with how the car is actually built, and maybe less back pain!
THAT is what good driving is really about!