Driving and the Karma Sutra

This article is rated PGA and contains references to sex and nudity. Parental guidance is advised.

Men only have one thing on their minds every 10 seconds of every minute, or so it is reported (okay, make that every seven seconds).

What hasn't been as well documented is that women also have the same thing on their minds with almost as much frequency as men do - sex.

The difference, though, is men think about how to get it and (married) women think about how to avoid it.

You may be wondering what this has to do with driving, but stay with me, because were it not true, then neither male nor female drivers would position themselves as they do.

Men wouldn't recline their seats so far back as if engaged in ... you know what I mean, and women wouldn't sit so upright and close to the dashboard as if to make it impossible for well ...

You can figure that one out too; and it is for this reason that I have deduced that drivers' seating positions seem to be as varied as positions in the Karma Sutra.

By and large, men - irrespective of height - sit too far back, in positions that compromise control of the vehicle.

Others slouch over the centre armrest, with one arm loosely slung over the wheel, in a pathetic attempt to look cool. On the other hand, my female compatriots seem to sit on top of the steering wheel and dashboard, looking for microscopic particles of dirt on the windscreen, while others sit so high in their seats, they might as well perch on top of the headrest.

Whatever the seating position, your ability to avoid a collision could be a sequel to Mission Impossible unless you re-adjust it before you drive off again.

Take a look at racing drivers - they sit upright and do not have to hyper extend their arms or legs to reach the wheel or the pedals and - take note everybody - both their hands are ON the wheel.

If reclining in your seat was an optimal driving position, then surely the likes of our very own racing driver Gugu Zulu would be doing it?

"Trying to look cool by reclining your seat compromises accuracy when turning the steering wheel so that, in the event of an impending hazard, a driver seated in the reclined position is more likely to grip the steering using it to prop himself up," says Zulu.

"The knock-on effect is that the direction of travel is immensely altered and gives the driver no time to adopt any corrective measures in order to avoid a collision," he adds.

Incidentally, there is a history behind the lazy boy seating position.

It is in fact called the Gangster Position and was "developed" by the Mafia in New York back in the day.

Urban legend has it that the Mafia bosses sat that way while driving so as to avoid identification and subsequently, be shot. Of course there are motorists who are seated correctly, but just in case you are unsure, next time you get into your vehicle, position yourself as you normally would in your seat. Scoot your derrière right into it, so that it nestles in the angle where the seat and back rest meet, and make sure that the small of your back is firmly pressed into the lower part of the back rest.

Next, place the heels of both hands at the apex of the steering wheel and extend your arms; your elbows should not lock, but be at gentle and relaxed angle.

Then, check that you can comfortably press the entire ball of your foot onto each of the pedals without locking your knees, and without your hip or thigh lifting off the seat. Lastly, ensure that your headrest is positioned low enough for the back of your head to rest on.

Please note dear motorists, that the headrest is not a decorative extra - its purpose is to cushion your head and reduce whiplash upon impact.

Sitting properly in the driver's seat could mean the difference between life and death, as well as the difference between scrapes, bruises and fatal injuries in the event of an accident.

Your seating position affects your ability to have a full view through the windscreen, allows you to have the widest view possible through your side mirrors, and also informs your blind spots.

The side mirrors are meant to give you a 180° degree view of what is happening around you.

The rear-view mirror is not meant for you to check if there is something between your teeth. Nor, ladies, is it a cosmetics aid.