Why is the Tesla Yoke a Safety Risk and the Lexus Yoke Kinda Wonderful?

[Newton]

Im all for new, interesting tech, if it has a purpose.
I still dont see the purpose of the yoke.
i have never had in issue reading a dash behind a wheel.
And I somewhat agree that for offroad use it will certainly be annoying

i have driven a race car with yoke type wheel, in that case, yes it makes perfect sense. your max steering range is like half a turn

that being said, when Its in our trucks and we have no other option im sure Ill get used to it and have no issues (hopefully)

 

[Crissa]

Im all for new, interesting tech, if it has a purpose.
I still dont see the purpose of the yoke.

Purpose: Safety.

• It increases your view of the dash and the road.
• It decreases the impulse to hold the wheel in places less safe for airbag activation.

(And personally, I had to change the steering wheel position in my Mazda 3 to where I can't read the speeds from 40-80 because I was getting an RSI in my shoulder and elbow.)

We'll see if it has an impact or not. Tesla apparently likes to track these things.

-Crissa

 

[Newton]

I drive probably 70+% of the time with 1 hand on the top of the wheel.
guess ill just have to omit my natural driving style iv been doing forever.

 

[Crissa]

I drive probably 70+% of the time with 1 hand on the top of the wheel.
guess ill just have to omit my natural driving style iv been doing forever.

Yeah, that's the break-your-arm-punching-yourself-in-the-face pose, apparently.

*sigh* Statistics and airbags, why do you hate so many poses?

-Crissa

 

[electricAK]

I admit I haven't read it, but (fill in the blank company) buys advertising and Tesla doesn't.

I asked my sister about this. She works for CNET's parent company, and manages new advertisers and sponsor campaigns for their multiple media outlets. I sent her the side by side comparison of the two different articles and asked if she see's the problem. I also asked if Lexus is a paid sponsor. Her response:

"Editors can have their own opinions and be different from one another. People don't recognize that." When I asked if Lexus is a paid sponsor, she said, "No they don't do that at all. It's not a conspiracy, it's just individual editors preferences." She then mentioned that "Cooley has gone on about how Tesla is the clear winner in EV and those articles exist on CNET too."

So there you have it. It's not a paid conspiracy against Tesla. Maybe the real problem is that some editors have too much implicit bias. I'm glad this is being pointed out.

 

[firsttruck]

I drive probably 70+% of the time with 1 hand on the top of the wheel.
guess ill just have to omit my natural driving style iv been doing forever.

Yes, if your vehicle has air bags and you like your current face, wrists and arms - stop holding of top of the steering wheel.

You could even put your eye out !! Oh and make sure passenger does not put foot on dash that contains air bag.

Safest driving hand position no longer “10 and 2” OR 10-2 OR TOP of wheel

If need to do full turn lock to lock:
As you steer your vehicle, you should never take either of your hands off of the steering wheel. The push and pull method of turning the steering wheel allows you to safely rotate the steering wheel while keeping both hands in contact.
(Source: https://driving-tests.org/beginner-drivers/how-to-hold-a-steering-wheel/)


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Safest driving hand position no longer “10 and 2”
Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission
Published June 8, 2015
https://cruz511.org/safest-driving-hand-position-no-longer-10-and-2/

Erase what you learned in drivers ed. 10 and 2 is no longer the correct position for drivers’ hands on the steering wheel. Air bags have changed all that! Safety experts now recommend that drivers place their hands at 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 o’clock on the wheel.

In a crash, air bags expand at more than 100 miles an hour. While they may prevent a driver’s head and chest from hitting the windshield, arms held high on the steering wheel can result in serious injuries to hands or fingers if an air bag deploys.

Other air bag tips:

* Don’t cross your hands or place them on the steering wheel hub while driving.
* Avoid hand over hand maneuvers while turning
* Keep two hands on the wheel at all times
* Sit at least 10 inches away from the steering wheel or dashboard
* If pregnant, place the lap belt low on your abdomen and tilt the steering wheel toward your chest
* Never install a rear-facing child safety seat in the front seat of a car with air bags
* Have children 12 or under ride in the rear seat

SOURCES:
San Jose Mercury News, by Gary Richards
State Farm Insurance
AAA


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California Driver Handbook
By California DMV
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/es/handbook/california-driver-handbook/safe-driving-practices/

.....
Hand Position If you think of the steering wheel as the face of a clock, place your hands at 9 and 3 o’clock, or slightly lower at 8 and 4 o’clock. To reduce face, arm, and hand injuries in the case of a deployed air bag, you should grip the outside of the steering wheel, with your knuckles on the outside of the wheel, and your thumbs stretched along the rim.

.....
Controlling the Vehicle There is no one correct way to steer a vehicle safely, but here are a few steering methods recommended by NHTSA:

* Hand-to-Hand Steering –
This steering method may also be called “push/pull” steering. Using this steering method, your hands do not cross over the face of the steering wheel, and therefore there is less chance of injury to your face, arms, or hands in the event of an air bag deploying. When using this method, start with your hands at 9 and 3 o’clock, or slightly lower at 8 and 4 o’clock. Depending on the direction you are turning, one hand will push the wheel up, and the opposite hand pulls down.

* Hand-Over-Hand Steering –
This method of steering can be used when turning at low speeds, parking, or recovering from a skid. When using this method, start with your hands at 9 and 3 o’clock, or slightly lower at 8 and 4 o’clock. Depending on the direction you are turning, one hand will push the wheel up, while the other hand will let go, reach across the other arm, grasp the wheel, and pull up.

* One Hand Steering –
NHTSA recommends using one-hand steering only when turning while backing, or operating vehicle controls that require removing a hand from the steering wheel. The only time that a 12 o’clock hand position is recommended is when backing a vehicle while turning, as the driver must turn in their seat to see the path of the vehicle. The placement of hands on the wheel at 9 and 3 o’clock, or slightly lower at 8 and 4 o’clock, is critical to vehicle balance.

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10 and 2 Driving No More? How to Hold the Steering Wheel Correctly
https://driving-tests.org/beginner-drivers/how-to-hold-a-steering-wheel/

Contents
Adjust the vehicle’s steering wheel
9 and 3 vs 10 and 2
Push and pull method

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** best to read entire article at source page **

Saskatchewan Driver's Handbook
Rev: 2021
https://www.sgi.sk.ca/handbook/-/knowledge_base/drivers/steering

.....
Hand positions
There are two correct hand positions on a steering wheel: "9 and 3" and "8 and 4."

These methods refer to visualizing the steering wheel as the face of a clock, and positioning the left hand at the 9 or 8 and the right hand at the 3 or 4 o'clock position. Steering wheels and shoulder widths differ, so exactly where people grasp the wheel will vary.

On a vehicle equipped with an airbag in the steering wheel, a hand placed on the top of the wheel may be forced back into the driver's face if the airbag is deployed, causing injury.

Once your hands are in correct position, don't shuffle them around on the wheel. Keep your grip in the same place and simply twist the steering wheel to turn the vehicle.

You can twist the wheel until your forearms touch. To steer beyond this point, you will have to use a "hand over hand" or "hand-to-hand" sequence.


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Volvo S60 manual > Driver/passenger-side airbags
Updated 1/30/2020
https://www.volvocars.com/en-ca/sup.../safety/airbags/driver-passenger-side-airbags

Never drive with your hands on the steering wheel pad/airbag housing.

---------------------

ASSESSMENT OF FOREARM INJURY DUE TO A DEPLOYING DRIVER-SIDE AIR BAG
By Christy McKendrew
Margaret H. Hines
Alan Litsky
The Ohio State University
Roger A. Saul
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration United States
Paper Number: 9%S5-O-09
https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/esv/esv16/98s5o09.pdf

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[Eye of Elon]

The yoke is to soon. It's meant for a drive by wire, full self drive future where it will fold into dashboard. Just give us a wheel until that future arrives.

 

[Crissa]

NHTSA hasn't recommended those latter two types of steering for over a decade.

The California DMV is notoriously backwards in their training manuals - they literally have printed on them that you cannot trust their manuals to pass the test.

-Crissa

 

[CyberGus]

So there you have it. It's not a paid conspiracy against Tesla.

That's what they want you to think

 

[charliemagpie]

You asked a question.. That usually does the trick to fry brains.

 

[firsttruck]

NHTSA hasn't recommended those latter two types of steering for over a decade.
....

It is still on nhtsa.gov web page. Last update I could find was 2016 ( 6 years go?).

Do you have link to newer version?

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NHTSA Driver Education Toolkit
This is a collection of studies and reports put together by NHTSA with the assistance from national driver education community of experts and practitioners.
https://one.nhtsa.gov/Driving-Safet...tion/ci.Teen-Drivers-–-Driver-Education.print

Driver Education Toolkit
Standards and Guidelines
Administrative and Curriculum Standards
Model Curriculum
Fact Sheets
Alcohol and Driving
Blindzone Glare Elimination
Driver Distractions
Efficient Steering Techniques
Proper Seat Belt Use
Risk Management
Visual Search / Perception
Work / Construction Zones


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Using Efficient Steering Techniques
2016
https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/steeringtechniques.pdf


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GEICO Living > Driving > AutoCar > Safety & Insurance > How To Hold Your Steering Wheel Properly
https://www.geico.com/living/driving/auto/car-safety-insurance/steering-wheel/


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[Crissa]

It is still on nhtsa.gov web page. Last update I could find was 2016 ( 6 years go?).

Do you have link to newer version?

Just the other release you already quoted that says the two others are deprecated.

Weird.

-Crissa

 

[Zapharus]

One uses drive-by-wire - something Tesla has avoided for regulatory reasons - to lower the lock to lock turning radius.

There is no evidence the Tesla version is a safety hazard. You should never be spinning the wheel at speed.

-Crissa

So, just curious because I see it in every comment you post: Why do you always sign off with your username at the end of every comment you post?

 

[charliemagpie]

I was thinking of that too


Charlie

 

[Bill906]

Whenever someone asks @Crissa why she signs her posts I always think of the episode of West Wing where Sam says "When I write something I sign me name. Here, I'll show you..." He then grabs a piece of paper and writes "YOU'RE FIRED. ~S. Seaborn"
God I miss the West Wing.