The complaints

The complaints
Besides the back pain that the majority of those polled say they suffer from, there are other ailments to consider. Foot cramps, neck aches, eyestrain and shoulder tension can all stem from a poor driving position.

Even if you feel in tip-top condition now, its well worth reading on you could still be doing yourself damage in the long term.

Prevention is better than cure
Driving injuries are often the result of years of abuse from a poor driving position, so just because youre not experiencing any discomfort right now doesnt mean you arent damaging your body, says osteopath Richard Budd. Its much tougher to put right an issue than to prevent it in the first place.

The experts...

Richard Budd and David Knight
GOsC registered; osteopathy, pilates and rehabilitation.

E-mail: richard@re-thinkbodyco.com david@re-thinkbodyco.com
www.rethinkbody.com

Safer driving, too
Its not all about discomfort and long-term damage, either how you sit behind the wheel affects your ability to control the car and your chance of injury in a collision. If you sit too far away from the wheel, you might not be able to make the sudden changes of direction necessary
to avoid an accident. If you sit too close, youll increase your chances of injury in an accident either by hitting the steering wheel, dashboard or even from the airbag thats designed to protect you in such an incident.

The head rest
Theres more: the part of the seat commonly known as the head rest isnt actually a rest at all its a restraint thats designed to prevent your neck being damaged or even snapped in a crash. Despite that, many drivers leave it in the position set at the factory, which means its of little or no help in an accident.