Tall Drivers Face Challenges

Being tall has many benefits, but occasionally it can offer challenges too.

If you’re tall – more than 6 feet 8 inches -- you’ve probably encountered the problem of how to get comfortable in your car, and still be able to drive it safely.

Getting a clear view of the road, ironically, is often one of the biggest concerns for tall drivers.

Very tall drivers often have to crouch even to see traffic lights. Crouching can impact the distance from the air bag, bringing the driver unsafely inside the 10-inch distance recommended by NHTSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Conversely, some vehicles need to have their seat tracking extended for tall drivers. This can also affect the driver's safety, by placing him or her too far away from the airbag.

Other considerations include finding comfortable seats, head and leg room, ease of entry and exit, and whether the seat belts can be adjusted to your size.

Sometimes, it’s not easy being tall!

However, there’s no shortage of advice for tall drivers on how to get around these problems.
Here are a few links to interesting articles and discussions:

For a list of Edmunds.com’s pick of the ten top cars for Tall People, visit:

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/101513/article.html

For another slant, visit the “Tall Street Journal” at:

http://www.thetallstreetjournal.com/forum/topics/2152092:Topic:20

Cartalk.com offers its perspective on Tall and Short Drivers and their issues:

http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/Special-Needs/short-tall.html

Here’s an article on “how-to” research the best cars for tall people:

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2003/07/15/164871.html

And finally, Consumer Reports weighs in:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/buying-advice/tall-and-short-of-it/overview/tall-and-short-of-it.htm