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Kansas driving lesson · Fit to Drive

Before you drive: seat, mirrors and air bags

A 4-minute lesson from the Kansas course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
4 minutes
Course unit
Fit to Drive
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
26, 27, 28

Set yourself up before the car moves. A good seat position gives you full control of the pedals and wheel and room for the air bag, and well-set mirrors let you see traffic behind and beside you.

Adjusting your seat and wheel:

  • Your foot should pivot smoothly from brake to accelerator with your heel on the floor
  • Top of the steering wheel no higher than the top of your shoulders, and below chin level
  • 10 inches between your body and the bottom of the steering wheel
  • Don't sit so far forward you can't steer, or recline so far you can't reach the wheel or use mirrors
  • Use a seat cushion and/or pedal extensions if needed to improve your view
Handbook p. 26 ↗

Whiplash

Neck pain that may occur when a crash forces your neck beyond its normal range of motion. Head restraints help prevent it if you're hit from behind.

Handbook p. 26 ↗

Know the rule

Adjust the head restraint so it contacts the back of your head, not below the level of your ears.

Handbook p. 26 ↗

Know the rule

Set the rearview mirror to frame the rear window, and set a day/night mirror for the time of day you're driving.

Handbook p. 26 ↗

Side mirror settings

Side mirror settings
SettingHowNote
TraditionalSee the edge of your own vehicle in each mirrorSuits trucks, vans, SUVs towing or backing
EnhancedLean ~5 inches to window/center; fender just visibleAdds 12 to 16 degrees of view each side
Handbook p. 26 ↗

Know the rule

Passenger vehicle side mirrors are not designed for backing. The enhanced setting may not work on all vehicles, so the traditional setting may be appropriate.

Handbook p. 26 ↗

Know the rule

Air bags are supplemental restraints that work best with safety belts. They deploy only once and deflate quickly, so they won't help in a secondary collision.

Handbook p. 27 ↗

Know the rule

Front air bags deploy in frontal and near-frontal crashes, not side, rear or rollover crashes. Side protection requires side impact air bags.

Handbook p. 28 ↗

Preventing air bag injuries:

  • In most vehicles, keep at least 10 inches from the center of your chest to the center of the wheel
  • Aim the bag at your chest, not face: raise the seat, use a cushion or tilt the wheel down
  • Keep hands on the outside of the wheel, never across it
  • Never secure a child in the right front seat; children 12 and under ride in the rear seat
  • Pickups and sports cars may have an on-off switch to disable the passenger air bag for a child 12 or under
Handbook p. 28 ↗

Child passenger safety

Child passenger safety
ChildSeat (in the back seat)
Birth to at least 1 year and at least 20 lbRear-facing infant seat
Over 1 year and at least 20 lbForward-facing child safety seat
Ages 4–8, no more than 4'9"Booster seat
Outgrown booster (usually 8 or 4'9")Adult safety belt
Handbook p. 28 ↗

Know the rule

Never place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active passenger air bag.

Handbook p. 28 ↗

Put it into practice

Your short friend sits with her chest six inches from the steering wheel. Have her move the seat back so there are at least 10 inches from chest to wheel center, and tilt the wheel down so the air bag points at her chest.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

When adjusting your seat, there should be about how many inches between your body and the bottom of the steering wheel?
  1. 20 inches
  2. 10 inches
  3. 4 inches
  4. 2 inches

Answer: 10 inches

The handbook recommends about 10 inches of space between your body and the bottom of the steering wheel.

Handbook p. 26 ↗
How should a head restraint be adjusted to help prevent whiplash?
  1. It should contact the back of your head, not below ear level
  2. It should be lowered well below the top of your shoulders
  3. It only matters for rear-seat passengers
  4. It should rest against the base of your neck

Answer: It should contact the back of your head, not below ear level

The head restraint should touch the back of the head at or above ear level to reduce whiplash risk in a rear-end crash.

Handbook p. 26 ↗
What is the main benefit of the 'enhanced' mirror setting described in the handbook?
  1. It is required by Kansas law for all vehicles
  2. It shows the vehicle's own fenders much more
  3. It adds 12-16 degrees of extra viewing area per side
  4. It eliminates the need for a rearview mirror

Answer: It adds 12-16 degrees of extra viewing area per side

The enhanced setting trades seeing your own vehicle's edge for 12-16 degrees of extra viewing area per side, reducing blind spots.

Handbook p. 26 ↗
In most vehicles, how much space should you keep between the center of your chest and the center of the steering wheel to reduce airbag injury risk?
  1. At least 20 inches
  2. At least 2 inches
  3. There is no recommended distance
  4. At least 10 inches

Answer: At least 10 inches

The handbook recommends at least 10 inches between your chest and the steering wheel center in most vehicles equipped with airbags.

Handbook p. 28 ↗
Where should children age 12 and under sit to avoid injury from a passenger-side airbag?
  1. In the rear seat
  2. In the front seat, if buckled properly
  3. Anywhere, as long as belted
  4. In the front seat, facing forward

Answer: In the rear seat

Children 12 and under should sit in the rear seat to avoid potential injury from a deploying front passenger airbag.

Handbook p. 28 ↗
Infants should ride rear-facing in the back seat until they are at least what age and weight?
  1. At least six months and 15 pounds
  2. At least age one and at least 20 pounds
  3. At least age three, regardless of weight
  4. At least age two and 30 pounds

Answer: At least age one and at least 20 pounds

Infants should stay in a rear-facing seat in the back until at least age one and at least 20 pounds.

Handbook p. 28 ↗
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