# What’s your steering wheel style? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 13, 2025, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913 "2025-01-13T12:44:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/21 "2025-01-13T15:52:57Z")
Like this. [![](https://i.ibb.co/pht5NKR/IMG-1921.webp) ](https://i.ibb.co/pht5NKR/IMG-1921.webp) (Actually, I tend to drive with my left hand on the left side of the wheel, say about 8 o’ clock, or on the top of the wheel, about 12 o’clock. The right is free to shift, although i currently drive an automatic transmission) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/22 "2025-01-13T17:55:35Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > > [@MrDibble](#): > > > > 2&10 is no longer recommended. I believe 3&9 is now the recommendation from a ‘keep your thumbs when airbag deploys’ view. > > The issue there is that my Honda has the wheel’s cross-supports at the 3 & 9, thus not allowing my fingers to close around the wheel. I also have a Honda, and the cross-supports at 3 and 9 are where the controls for the stereo and cruise control are, so that’s more or less where I hold my hands. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/23 "2025-01-13T20:04:03Z")
If I’m just cruising along more or less alone on the road, one hand at 7:00. If I’m in traffic, 7 and 5 or 10 and 2. ---
**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/24 "2025-01-13T21:06:48Z")
One or both hands on the crossbar thing, or one hand at the bottom on the wheel, or both hands at 10/2 if I need more control or my hands are cold and I want the heat blowing on them 😉 ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/25 "2025-01-13T21:26:47Z")
I use the “racecar” method. Beyond just being roughly at 9 and 3, you wrap your thumbs around the spokes and use those for control. You don’t really need your fingers or palms most of the time. The design of the wheel makes a difference. It’s considerably more comfortable in my Fiat compared to mrs.gnu’s Honda SUV. My old Dodge pickup had a four spoke wheel that was not right for it, the spoke connections were too high up. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/26 "2025-01-13T21:32:19Z")
I’m not touching the wheel at all about 2/3 of the time these days. But when I am, I have one hand at 7:30. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/27 "2025-01-13T21:36:50Z")
And I thought this was going to be a thread about what kind of steering wheels our cars have. Like most “sport” steering wheels have three spokes, while most regular ones have two spokes. And then there are weirdos like Citroen with their single spoke steering wheels. Mine is three spoked and leather wrapped. But to answer the question the OP actually asked, I’m actually not sure. It’s not really something I pay attention to. But I can kind of picture my right hand on the stick shift, and the other kind of resting on the left spoke. I’ll have to pay attention to what I do when I drive to work tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Passing\_Through](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Just\_Passing\_Through](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Passing_Through)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/28 "2025-01-13T21:53:17Z")
The “driver education” training videos my company forces us to watch are saying 5 and 7. Too many people were/are punching themselves in the face with the old 10 and 2 when the airbag blows. Off-roaders will tell you not to hook your thumbs in the wheel so your thumbs don’t get broken when the tire jams on something and whips the steering wheel around. So many drivers are steering one-handed anyway because the other hand is holding the phone… ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/29 "2025-01-13T22:04:22Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > What’s your steering wheel style? I prefer circular wheels. I just like the consistency of a uniform radius. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/30 "2025-01-14T00:47:21Z")
> [@Nyvaak](#): > > Generally somewhere between 10 & 2 and 9 & 3 for me. Ditto. On a recent long drive, I really considered making a “pillow” of sorts for each elbow - one on the console, and one on the door handle, to prop them up, as 10 hours of 10/2 or 9/3 gets pretty fatiguing. Anyone else ever considered this? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/31 "2025-01-14T02:14:20Z")
> [@Just\_Passing\_Through](#): > > Off-roaders will tell you not to hook your thumbs in the wheel so your thumbs don’t get broken when the tire jams on something and whips the steering wheel around. I learned that as well, and never made the connection that it was from someone who did a lot of real off-roading. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/32 "2025-01-14T02:41:34Z")
I spent many years driving a manual transmission car so when driving my left hand was usually somewhere around the 10 o’clock position while my right hand was resting on the armrest, ready to shift. Now that I drive an automatic my left hand is usually somewhere around the 10 o’clock position while my right hand is resting on the armrest, ready to shift the now absent gearshift. Driving through town or in heavy traffic both my hands are on the wheel, at 10 and 2. I don’t wrap my thumbs around the wheel. My kids, who both went through driver’s ed in the last 5 years, were taught to hold the wheel at 5 and 7 or 4 and 8. I just can’t do that, I feel like I can’t turn the wheel quickly if I need to. My kids have no problem with it. For me old habits not only die hard, but it would appear are impossible to break. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/33 "2025-01-14T03:05:58Z")
Left hand at 7, right hand on my tumbler. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/34 "2025-01-14T03:18:31Z")
For me, absolutely no consistency, and also I feel that while it’s a fun topic for discussion, it’s absolutely irrelevant to safe driving. I generally find it most comfortable to have one or both hands somewhere around the top of the cross-thingy, but it varies. Steer with the left hand when I have a drink on the go or doing something with the radio or CD player. Steer with no hands at all when demonstrating to a friend how great my recent alignment was! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nyvaak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Nyvaak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nyvaak)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/35 "2025-01-14T07:07:38Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Anyone else ever considered this? I will now. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/36 "2025-01-14T10:15:05Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > 2&10 is no longer recommended. I believe 3&9 is now the recommendation from a ‘keep your thumbs when airbag deploys’ view. The thing is, you can rest your hands on 2 and 10, but you have to constantly grip the wheel to hold 3 and 9. It seems kind of tiring. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/37 "2025-01-14T11:46:08Z")
Highway and intown driving is different. Highway - Left elbow on arm rest, hand grips wheel at 8 o’clock. Intown - Generally two hands I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/38 "2025-01-14T12:38:30Z")
One finger, 6 o’clock. (Kidding! Mostly.) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913/39 "2025-01-14T16:37:26Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > > > I know that I was taught to keep my hands at 2 & 10, but I don’t do that anymore. Now it’s both hands at the top with thumbs braced along the wheel. > > If you are in a collision and your airbag goes off, you will likely break your wrists as the airbag drives them into your face. I would change “likely” to “possibly.” In over 25 years and hundreds of accident investigations I have never seen it. Airbag injuries are usually chest soreness(along with using the seatbelt) and abrasions to the the face and arms. I never once saw an airbag break an arm or wrist but I guess it’s possible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-steering-wheel-style/1012913.md?page=1)