Why You Should Slide Your Driver’s Seat All the Way Back While Driving

Let’s be honest—most drivers almost never open the owner’s manual that comes with their car. Because of that, very few people realize there’s a recommendation to slide the driver’s seat as far back as comfortably possible while driving. And surprisingly, there’s a pretty simple reason behind it.

If you own a relatively modern vehicle (which is likely, with about a 90% chance), it’s worth grabbing the manual right now and checking whether it mentions seating position. In fact, this advice appears in many modern owner’s guides, yet most drivers completely ignore it without even knowing it exists.

The idea itself is straightforward. Many manuals recommend positioning the driver’s seat as far back as practical. Most experienced drivers would probably argue that makes no sense—you’re supposed to adjust the seat to fit your body. Otherwise, driving just feels awkward and uncomfortable.

But there’s a catch. The same manuals that suggest moving the seat back also recommend keeping your arms slightly bent at the elbows while holding the steering wheel. At first glance, those two ideas seem to contradict each other. So what’s the logic?

It all comes down to safety.

The reasoning is simple: the farther you sit from the steering wheel, the better your chances of avoiding serious injury in a crash. In a front-end collision, extra distance can reduce the risk of being thrown into the steering column or getting trapped in a crushed cabin.

Of course, this only works as intended if all other safety measures are followed. That includes wearing your seat belt at all times, without exception.