Home » New Car Buying » Buying a Safer Car » Short-Statured Individuals Solving The Problem Safely And Comfortably
Short-Statured Individuals Solving The Problem Safely And Comfortably
If you're under 5"4, the vehicle and accessories it comes equipped with, or without, could have a big impact on your comfort level. Although automakers typically don't design cars with short-statured people in mind, there are some things that can be done to make driving more comfortable for even the shortest of drivers.
Help for both short-statured car owners and drivers are on the way. Many automakers are taking engineering for short people into consideration, and have begun designing cars to more readily accommodate shorter drivers, which happen to mostly be women drivers. Many vehicles now also come equipped with height-adjustable seats and shoulder belts, and new, lighter materials are being used to manufacturer lift gates, making them easier to handle by those vertically challenged souls under 5'4".
The best plan of action for a person under 5'4" is to head to the local dealerships for hands-on testing of doors, seats, lift gates, and other vehicle features such as pedal height and seatbelt straps before doing a great deal of detailed research on a vehicle that may end up to be simply too big to handle. Locating a vehicle to fit your body as well as your driving needs and pocket book is a good plan of action to begin with. Understanding the vast array of vehicle choices prior to falling in love with a particular vehicle and making that purchase can greatly impact the comfort level of a short driver. Large sport utility vehicles and pick up trucks, for example, are often much harder for short people to adapt to because they have a higher step-in height, door size, trunk door or lift gate than standard sized cars, wagons or mid-sized pick up trucks.
One of short drivers' biggest complaints is that to drive comfortably, they feel it necessary to sit very close to the steering wheel in an attempt to use the pedals, steer, and have a clear view of the roadway over the dash board. While that was not a concern prior to the development of airbags, now sitting too close to the steering wheel can be deadly if an airbag is deployed during an accident. Drivers must sit at least ten inches away from the steering wheel if it is equipped with an airbag to prevent injury or a fatality.
Pedal extenders, devices that attach to the brake, gas or clutch Pedal, are available for virtually any vehicle, are easy to install and are somewhat inexpensive. Made to provide short drivers with the means to sit further away from the steering wheel/airbag while continuing to allow them to drive safely and comfortably, pedal extenders are available from several companies on the Internet. Check out Easy Rider Pedal Extensions Drive Master, Adams Digital Works, and Handicaps, Inc., or call or call the Mobility Equipment Dealers Association at 800-833-0427 to find a dealer that sells pedal extenders.
With a little research and hands on testing, driving can be both comfortable and safe, even for the shortest among us.
