How We Sit When Driving Is Important.
Many drivers today do not sit adequately to accommodate the curve of the lower back, putting additional strain on their spine.
In spite of abundant research studies in automotive seating, many questions still remain about what really contributes to drivers seat comfort and we want to share some of advice that has been handed down to us over the years by car manufacturers from around the world.
So, here is a survey done in United Kingdom and should for all intent and purpose apply to us Malaysians to almost 99 percent.
So, over 80 percent of the drivers in the survey ended up in an unhealthy sitting position and over 80 percent admitted to having to ‘sit back upright’ at some point during their journey.
It seems clear that although most of us start our journey with a good healthy posture, few of us can maintain it after a few miles down the road.
With back pain being the number 2 reason why we visit our GPs and costing the British medical service (NHS) £1.3Million per day, it is interesting but maybe not surprising to see that over 60 percent of drivers in this survey agreed with the statement ‘my car seat can make my back ache worse after a long trip’.
More shocking is that over 40 percent of drivers said that the car seat was the main cause of their backache. With back pain costing the UK economy £37M a day, it would seem that anything to improve in-vehicle posture and reduce car related back pain would be well worth the investment.
WHY YOUR DRIVING POSTURE MATTERS
So are you sitting comfortably in your car? Too many people are not. That’s according to analysis of the internet searches made by millions of motorists.
The phrases ‘car seat cushion’, ‘lumbar support for car’ and ‘most comfortable car seats’ were searched nearly 10,000 times in one month alone in the USA.
Extrapolate that data for other countries and other search engines and it’s clear a huge number of drivers are on a quest for comfort.
It’s important. A good driving position can help you avoid back pain. And if you do suffer, getting more comfortable in the car may help you manage better.
LOWER BACK PAIN: A COMMON COMPLAINT
It’s a major problem. While no one knows exactly how many people live with back pain, the American Chiropractic Association reckons as many as 80 percent of people will suffer at some point in their lives.
One global study found that lower back pain causes more disability than any other condition, affecting nearly one in 10 people and becoming more common with increasing age. The good news is there’s something we can all do about this. And it’s not difficult.
