How Car Ergonomics Work
Dictionaries generally define ergonomics as a scientific discipline that uses
principles of biotechnology and engineering to make products more comfortable
for workers and consumers. But ergonomics isn't just about design. It also factors
in how we use things.
University of Iowa researcher Dr. Jeffery Dawson drives a newer version of the Automobile for
Research in Ergonomics and Safety (ARGOS) vehicle.
In the context of a car, that means considering anything from the placement of a
radio dial to how a person sits in a passenger seat. One ergonomics engineer for
Ford described her job as "human factors engineering. So while engineers may
design cars to be ergonomically friendly, it doesn't mean that one design will
work for all users, especially if the car is designed for a person of certain
proportions.
It's also up to us passengers and drivers to make ourselves comfortable. For
instance, if you're a driver and position your seat so that your feet barely reach
the pedals, you may induce unnecessary strain on your arms -- just as sitting too
close can cause leg or back pain. Seat position, posture and time spent in the car
all can affect a person's health. According to one study, if you drive four or more
hours a day, you're six times more likely to develop back problems.
Musculoskeletal disorders also pose a concern for long-distance drivers,
particularly those who drive for a living: truck drivers, taxi drivers, even police
officers on patrol.
In this article, we'll take a look at the design of car ergonomics and how to take
full advantage of them for health, comfort, efficiency and safety. First, let's see
what role ergonomics play for a person in the driver's seat.
Driver Seat Ergonomics
Ironically, the best way to take advantage of the driver seat's ergonomics is not
to spend too much time in the seat. If you're driving long distances, you should
alter your position or get out of the car to walk around and stretch at least once
every two hours.
But whether you're in the car for long or short periods, there are things you can
do to minimize complications. Researchers from Loughborough University came
up with several guidelines for ensuring drivers' health. These researchers created
an ideal "starting position," from which the driver adjusts various controls to
ensure maximum comfort, control and a good view of the road and the car's
interior systems. The seat should be pushed far back, but the steering wheel, if
adjustable, should be brought high and close to the driver. The seat's backrest
should be reclined back 30 degrees, while the seat height and cushion should be
in their lowest positions.
After this starting position is established, the seat should be raised to improve
the driver's road vision. The seat should also be moved forward and up to allow
the driver good control over the pedals, while not causing leg or knee pain.
Adjust the backrest and lumbar support to provide adequate support; excessively
declining the backrest can cause back pain and impinge on the driver's field of
vision. And don't forget the headrest. It can provide crucial neck support.
The final step is adjusting the mirrors to maximize your view of the road and to
minimize blind spots, but before doing that, move the steering wheel so that it
allows a clean view of the controls and doesn't touch your legs while driving.
On the next page, we'll look at passenger ergonomics, and we'll also learn
about some tools that engineers use in order to make cars more ergonomically
friendly for passengers and drivers alike.
Passenger Ergonomics
Virtual reality (VR) is one of the many cutting-edge tools engineers use in
crafting car ergonomics. VR spares designers the need to craft a full-scale
model. Instead, a male designer can go along for a virtual ride as, say, a teenage
girl, seeing how seatbelt placement or the sculpting of a seat affects her.
With human beings generally living longer, as well as growing taller and
heavier, it's important for cars to be able to adapt to serving more diverse
populations. Similarly, the presence of more elderly drivers and passengers
means that cars have to accommodate their needs; in particular, they have to be
easy for these folks to get in and out of. Using virtual modeling allows engineers
to simulate the behaviors of the elderly or those with special needs, ensuring that
car interiors are designed and tested for an increasingly diverse population.
Despite the utility of VR and computer modeling, physical prototypes are
important for testing designs in the real world. Ford, for example, creates
prototypes called bucks after trying out designs in virtual simulations
[source: Autoweb]. These bucks are then tested by engineers, other Ford
employees and outside people brought in to offer an objective perspective.
While these modeling methods provide plenty of data and flexibility, it's up to
engineers to figure out how to best use them. For example, an engineer may
have to choose whether to make a passenger seat more comfortable by
adjusting its size, shape or position in relation to the rest of the car (which may
allow a passenger more room to stretch his or her legs).
Besides ensuring comfort and ease of use, ergonomic design, or the lack
thereof, has a role to play in safety in the event of an accident. Many headrests
aren't designed in an ergonomic manner at all. They don't actually work with the
rider and support his or her head and neck, so they don't provide adequate
support in the event of a crash. A study by the U.S. Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety showed that most car headrests didn't protect well against
whiplash. The institute tested 70 seat and head restraints for whiplash protection
and just eight received "good" ratings, while 30 restraints were rated "poor"
[source: Croasum]. Some restraints couldn't be tested at all because they were
incompatible with tall passengers.
Placement of Vehicle Controls
Vehicle controls constitute an essential part of ergonomics. From cars with
push-button ignitions -- like many Toyota models, notably the Prius -- to power
seats, automatic headlights, automatic climate control and electronic parking
brakes, the latest in ergonomic innovation is often characterized by automation
and ease of use. These features are, notably, easier for disabled drivers to use and
allow many drivers to simply set a goal, such as a desired temperature of 72
degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius), and the car does the rest.
One of the more intriguing trends in ergonomic design is the attention now paid
to older drivers. All types of cars -- including sports cars -- are now being
designed to have controls with larger text and better lighting to maximize
readability, particularly for older or functionally disabled drivers. Even door
handles are being made to allow a better grip for people with conditions like
arthritis.
To design controls suitable for older or even for pregnant drivers, some auto
engineers put on suits that limit their mobility and range of vision or that come
with a large belly, mimicking pregnancy. Elaborate bodysuits won't always do, so
engineers do often turn to virtual reality and computer modeling. This flexibility
means that an engineer can easily test how a certain control configuration might
be used by a 6-foot, 200-pound man or a 5-foot, 120-pound. woman -- and
everyone in between. These programs also allow for testing for people with
disabilities, unusual body types or special needs.
With new features, however, come new challenges. Distracted driving is a major
concern, leading many U.S. states to pass laws regulating drivers' cell phone
use. At the same time, more cars are coming equipped with integrated hands-
free phone systems, often incorporating Bluetooth. But the challenge then arises
of how to make this system accessible and easy to use without distracting drivers
or requiring them to take their eyes off the road. There's some speculation that
future cars will need to rely more on audio/voice controls, a feature that exists to
a limited extent in some vehicles.
Vehicle Cargo Holds
To badly paraphrase Freud, sometimes a cargo hold is not just a cargo hold.
That is, car trunks are now employed for numerous purposes besides hauling
gear or spare tires or holding suitcases on the way to the airport. Many trunks
now include built-in pockets, flaps that hide storage areas for a spare tire and its
associated equipment, a rubberized bottom and covers to conceal and protect
cargo. Many trunks are also expandable (by way of rear seats that fold down),
are removable or disappear completely into the vehicle's floor.
User flexibility and add-ons are the latest in cargo hold innovation, with
expandable cargo areas allowing a car to serve as anything from a plush dog
carrier to a space for your bicycle. For example, a Volkswagen GTI has rear
seats that flip down, increasing the cargo hold area from 12.3 to 46 cubic feet
(0.3 to 1.3 cubic meters). The Mercedes-Benz GLK350 comes with two types of
electrical outlets in its cargo hold -- a 115-volt outlet and a 12-volt power plug --
although it's bested by other vehicles, like the GMC Acadia, which has five total
outlets. The Honda Element, often marketed to outdoors enthusiasts, has a
washable floor, causing one site to name it amongst its top 10 cars for tailgating.
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