ASSESSMENT OF THE WAY HOLDING STEERING WHEEL IN DIFFERENT TRAFFIC SITUATIONS

This paper deals with assessing the differences in steering wheel holding positions for left-sided and right-sided steering vehicle in three specific driving situations. The collected data is compared to the generally accepted optimal steering wheel position in terms of both active and passive safety. The research described in this work was based on a sample of randomly selected drivers from the Czech Republic, Great Britain and Australia. Data collection was done by means of electronic questionnaires with precisely-described and visualized situations for better understanding and presentation of the examined state. The data was then subjected to statistical evaluation, where the difference between the drivers driving in the right-sided steering countries and the drivers driving in the left-side steering countries. Basis of the statistical evaluation of the data obtained, it was found that there is a difference in the way the steering wheel is held in the assessed traffic situations between drivers driving in left-sided traffic and between the drivers in right-sided traffic. The results of this work can be used in the process of designing passenger car cabins. Especially in the field of adaptation of control or multimedia elements to the needs of drivers in individual countries.