what hand do you use to drive? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

djomlas · 10-18-2006, 09:59 AM

left or right mainly? well of course shifting with right hand in US.

but for instance i'm right handed and i just can't in any way, well i could but it feels akward to, drive with only right halnd holding the steering wheel. only left hand and sometimes depending on driving situation i use both hands.

anyone else in the same boat?

10-18-2006, 10:01 AM

Left! I am also left-handed.

But, I golf (when I did, stopped about 6 years ago when my second daughter was born) and bat righty.

Travis · 10-18-2006, 10:15 AM

Hmmm.......

-> Shift with my right

-> steer with my knees

-> wave at the girls with my left

Sammy · 10-18-2006, 10:17 AM

Kind of an odd question that I'm sure will get some colorful responeses...

When I'm cruising with one hand on the steering wheel I almost always use my left hand. I am right handed but I like to rest my elbow on the door compartment cover hence why I typically use my left hand.

Marc Gelefsky · 10-18-2006, 10:40 AM

My pimp hand... yo...

My left hand.. but usually both hands when not shifting

Perfectlap · 10-18-2006, 11:03 AM

I tell this to my lady friend every time I'm doing my horrible job of being a passenger.
YOU DRIVE WITH BOTH HANDS!
Its an easy habit to pick up. driving with one hand at 12 o'clock or one hand on the shifter (when you aren't shifting) is a great bad habit to forget. It screams novice driver.

Get in the 9 and 3 or 10 and 2 o'clock habit and you'll find you start driving differently. Also shuffling the wheel(sliding your hand away from 9 and 3 during turns) is a bad habit too that will carry over when you decide to take some high performance driving instruction.

What is the benefit? First you can't feel what your right side suspension is doing if you have your right hand on the arm rest or shifter. Most motor vehicle accidents would be avoided if the driver had one extra second of reaction time when travelling over 55mph. The Boxster especially has EXCELLENT steering feedback that will give you a heads up early warning before the car has pivoted/turned. This is important to you because although the Boxster is typical mid engine neutral/responsive it's also infamous for having a very ABRUPT "moment of polar inertia" where the car crosses line of max rear end grip and just violently breaks away from you losing all ability to control its direction. SCARY, don't pass up on the extra wiggle room by having your hand on shifter.

a very disciplined 9 and 3 o'clock driver JUST narrowly avoiding a track crash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLXIyiCfTmo

CJ_Boxster · 10-18-2006, 11:23 AM

I steer with my Left, I rest my left arm on the Door storage lid and then hold the wheel at 7:30 posistion and shift with my right hand... and I use my face to honk the horn.

Sammy · 10-18-2006, 11:35 AM

Great comments Perfectlap, but I have to disagree with the following:

"...EXCELLENT steering feedback..."

I have been able to drive Nicole at quite a few autocrosses this summer and the biggest complaint I have about the car is the lack of feedback through the steering wheel. (it's not that big of a complaint

) The variable steering is nice but feels dead to me when the car is starting to slide? Of course sliding is not the way to go fast, but if you can't tell where the edge is than it's hard to push it. I'm not screaming Ford Crown Vic by any means, but every BMW I have ever driven has had excellent steering feedback and I wish my Boxster had the same.

Anyone else noticed this?

Disclaimer: This is my first year of driving a Boxster at autocrosses so I'm still what I would consider a novice. Funny thing about the Boxster is with minimal effort/understanding/skill it makes you feel like a long lost Mario Andretti.

IowaS · 10-18-2006, 12:49 PM

Lets see....
Cigarette...right hand....check...
Blackberry....left hand....check...
Steering.....STEERING????!!

Just kidding and I don't smoke....I agree with Perfectlap....I am a very novice driver with a few AutoX's and track days under my belt....enough to teach me to drive "properly"...plus you just never know when an idiot will ruin your day by pulling out in front of you....plus you get used to it. The only time I don't do this (I still should) are those long streches of highway in Iowa when you dont see anything but a potential wild animal (even more reason to do this)...

Perfectlap · 10-18-2006, 01:02 PM

The only time I ever felt the steering was numb was when I first had my Toyo Proxes RA-1's mounted. at the shop I bumped into another SCCA AtuoX guy at and we got to talkin. Car was ready so I quick Jumped into the Boxster and took it for fast drive then I said WTF??? Why the hell does the steering feel like that Chrysler Sebring I just drove in FL?

Sure enough the guy at the shop but about 50 pounds of pressure in each tire.

a couple of pounds of too much pressure can make a big difference in Autocross, takes time to figure out what the sweet spot is. ANd the limited runs nature of Autocross really makes it tricky.

super66 · 10-18-2006, 09:43 PM

actually my wife drives with both hands on the wheel and it amuses me like nothing else....man I have never met a two handed driver that isn't busy doing the chris farley tommy boy....try to remember him jerking side to side as he drove

that being said, left hand lazily around noon, right hand on the shifter.....fumbling with the cell trying to text message......a dangerous style I know....but at least my seat belt is on

MNBoxster · 10-18-2006, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

I tell this to my lady friend every time I'm doing my horrible job of being a passenger.
YOU DRIVE WITH BOTH HANDS!
Its an easy habit to pick up. driving with one hand at 12 o'clock or one hand on the shifter (when you aren't shifting) is a great bad habit to forget. It screams novice driver.

Get in the 9 and 3 or 10 and 2 o'clock habit and you'll find you start driving differently. Also shuffling the wheel(sliding your hand away from 9 and 3 during turns) is a bad habit too that will carry over when you decide to take some high performance driving instruction.

What is the benefit? First you can't feel what your right side suspension is doing if you have your right hand on the arm rest or shifter. Most motor vehicle accidents would be avoided if the driver had one extra second of reaction time when travelling over 55mph. The Boxster especially has EXCELLENT steering feedback that will give you a heads up early warning before the car has pivoted/turned. This is important to you because although the Boxster is typical mid engine neutral/responsive it's also infamous for having a very ABRUPT "moment of polar inertia" where the car crosses line of max rear end grip and just violently breaks away from you losing all ability to control its direction. SCARY, don't pass up on the extra wiggle room by having your hand on shifter.

a very disciplined 9 and 3 o'clock driver JUST narrowly avoiding a track crash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLXIyiCfTmo

Hi,

I agree with you 100%. Especially if you have the 3-spoke wheel. The Palm Pads are in a perfect 10-2 position and it's easy to take a turn without shifting your hands at all, just pivot your arms at the shoulder, your elbows will cross and touch, but the car will track perfectly around a corner. This will give a big improvement to Auto-X times.

This was a habit I picked up when I was racing Formula Fords. Developing this habit will definitely increase your feel and focus to the task at hand...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Tool Pants · 10-18-2006, 10:27 PM

..........

Rail26 · 10-19-2006, 04:44 AM

It all depends man...am I scarfing down a "Royale with Cheese?" If so, I drive with my knees.

Is my wife in the right seat? If so I drive with my left so that if we have to stop really quickly I can put my hand out and grab a handful of...yep.

Do I have my trucker hat on running away from smokey? I am at 10 and 2.

Am I flipping off ANOTHER left lane sleeper? Definitely right hand becasue I think my middle finger is longer on the left. Or so I have been told....WAAAHHHSAAABEEEE