How are you driving?

Back pain caused by driving is a very common problem that’s easily avoided. We caught up with some of the guys in our facilities team to talk about driving posture.

Kevin Johnson is a delivery driver, based at Fieldhead.

“My job is to deliver things like post, medicines, paper records and equipment.

“I drive all over the patch – Pontefract, Barnsley, Halifax – wherever things need to go.

“The key is to get yourself set up before you set off, nice and relaxed with a good upright posture.

“I’ve been doing full time for the best part of 10 years, driving five or six hours a day but never had a bad back”.

Before you set off
• Adjust the height of the seat so you can get a good view of the road
• Move the seat far enough forward to reach the pedals easily
• Adjust the angle of the seat so that you’re supported along the full length of the thighs
• Make sure the seat is supporting the whole length of your spine up to shoulder level
• Check that the backrest is supporting the small of your back
• Adjust the steering wheel height so that you can reach it comfortably
• Make sure the headrest is at the right height
• Adjust your mirrors to suit you, rather than twisting and turning your back or neck.

Top tips to avoid back pain
• Move position often – even good posture can cause discomfort
• Drive with both hands on the wheel, this stops your spine from rotating
• Take frequent breaks as this will prevent bad posture from becoming painful
• Avoid spending more time than you need in the car – don’t use it as an office!

We care about the wellbeing of our staff and have lots of support in place to make sure that our staff can stay well at work – including a physiotherapy service for any aches, pains or niggles. Follow us on Twitter to find out more.