Your hands should generally be at the 9-and-3 position on the steering wheel for everyday driving, as this gives you better control and reduces the risk of injury from an airbag.

Ideal hand position

  • Most modern safety guidance now recommends 9-and-3 (imagine the wheel as a clock: left hand at 9, right hand at 3).
  • Older advice of 10-and-2 has fallen out of favor because it can put your hands and arms in the path of a deploying airbag.

Why 9-and-3 is safer

  • It gives you strong leverage and fine control over the car, especially at higher speeds or in emergencies.
  • It keeps your arms lower and more out of the way if the airbag deploys, reducing the chance of arm, hand, or facial injuries.

How to hold the wheel

  • Place both hands on the outside of the wheel, not hooked inside the rim, and use your fingers rather than your palms for grip.
  • Keep your grip firm but not tense, and keep thumbs resting along the wheel’s face instead of wrapped tightly inside the rim.

Turning technique

  • Use a “push–pull” or hand-to-hand method (one hand pushes the wheel up, the other slides and pulls it down) so your arms don’t cross over the airbag.
  • Hand-over-hand is sometimes still used at low speeds or in parking, but many safety organizations now prefer push–pull for airbag safety.

What to avoid

  • Avoid driving with one hand, just fingertips, or with your knees, except for very brief moments when you must operate controls.
  • Avoid gripping from inside the wheel rim, which can lead to wrist or arm injuries if the wheel snaps back suddenly.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.