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SAFE ROADS: "10 and 2" driving is no longer a rule of the road

Posted at 12:40 PM, Apr 12, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-12 22:33:53-04

PHOENIX — Remember all of those old sayings that your parents used to tell you over and over again?

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." "Don't make that face or it'll stick that way." "You know what to do. Keep your hands on the wheel at 10 and 2."

Well, they all have one thing in common. They're just not true! One of our viewers heard the old "10 and 2" advice on our airwaves and brought it to my attention. Ken, a driving instructor, sent this email.

"Ever since airbags became more common the safety training is hands at 9 and 3... It was changed because [it's] safer and [does] less harm from airbags when they go off."

Ken is absolutely right.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), keeping your hands at 10 and 2 could lead to serious cuts, bruises or broken bones and even amputations when that airbag launches toward you at more than 200 miles an hour. Your best bet is to locate those quarter hours on the clock and don't grip the steering wheel so tight. Keep the thumbs resting on the wheel instead of around it.

Let's talk about turning the wheel for a second. If you find yourself turning the wheel like the captain of a ship, those are the wrong moves. You want to keep your arms in the parallel position and do what's called the push and pull method. That way you will make sure that you can turn around things in the roadway safely and it'll be less likely that the airbag can hurt you in the event of some kind of an accident.