# Crash scenario **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crash-scenario/651448 "2013-02-26T17:48:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 3
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crash-scenario/651448/3 "2013-02-26T18:02:53Z")
> [@Car Crash Physics](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-crash-physics/525850/24): > > The classical method was to put the hands at 10:00 and 2:00. Some folks, particularly high performance drivers, would recommend 9:00 and 3:00. Now it’s common [advice for 9 and 3 to stay out of the way of the airbags](http://www.smartmotorist.com/driving-guideline/hands-on-the-steering-wheel.html). I think it’s a more effective position anyway, although if it weren’t I would question the wisdom of the advice. Some emergency vehicle drivers are taught to grip even lower, but IMHO this is a poor tradeoff between steering wheel control and airbag safety. If you are in a collsion severe enough to deploy an airbag, a hand or arm injury might be the least of your worries. 9 and 3 is more practical than it used to be because everything has power steering and steering ratios have been reduced. Back when people were writing roadcraft manuals, steering gear reduction was higher, to reduce the amount of effort needed to turn the wheel. That meant you had to turn the wheel further to reach full lock. My mother’s Triumph Acclaim (a rebadged 80s Honda Accord) required two full turns to reach full lock; I can’t remember a car I’ve driven in adulthood which required more than one rotation. An early model Jeep Cherokee, maybe. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crash-scenario/651448)._