The goals of this study were to confirm that female drivers sit closer to the steering wheel than do male drivers, and also to investigate whether this expected difference in sitting position is attributable to differences in the physical dimensions of men and women. Driver body dimensions and multiple measures of sitting distance from the steering wheel were collected from a sample of 150 men and 150 women. Results confirmed that, on average, women do sit closer to the steering wheel than men do and that this difference is accounted for by variations in body dimensions, especially height. This finding suggests that driver height may provide a good surrogate for sitting distance from the steering wheel when investigating the role of driver position in real-world crash outcomes. Potential applications include changes to vehicle design that allow independent adjustment of the relative distance among the driver's seat, the steering wheel, and the floor pedals.
Abstract