Since the beginning of winter, as the temperature drops, more and more car owners have put on thick “winter clothes” on the steering wheel of their cars – installing steering wheel covers. However, many car owners do not know that although all kinds of steering wheel covers are warm and fashionable, they also have a certain impact on driving safety. So, what harm does using a steering wheel cover do to driving? There are all kinds of steering wheel covers, what kind of material is the most suitable?
Car owners “add clothes” to the steering wheel
“It’s too cold this day, and my hands are numb when driving.” Yesterday, Ms. Che Zhang told the reporter that after the weather turned cold in winter, every time she started driving, she felt that the steering wheel was cold. It takes a long time to turn on the heater to heat up. So, as soon as winter came, Ms. Zhang added “clothes” to the steering wheel of her car—a plush steering wheel cover in cartoon shape.
Like Ms. Zhang, many car owners add “clothes” to the steering wheel of their cars after the weather is cold. Mr. Liu, the owner of the car, said that these long-haired steering wheels can not only keep warm, but also be fashionable and comfortable, which is very high-end when used in the car.
The reporter learned from some auto supply stores that the number of customers choosing steering wheel covers has increased since November. Steering wheel covers range in price from tens of yuan to hundreds of yuan, and are very popular among car owners, especially some young female car owners.
However, many car owners are unclear about the harm and impact of using steering wheel covers on driving safety. In an auto supply store, Ms. Li, who was buying steering wheel covers, told reporters that she only knew that using steering wheel covers can keep warm and look stylish and beautiful. As for the harm of using the steering wheel cover, Ms. Li said frankly: “I don’t know about this, it seems to have no effect, right?”
Steering wheel “dressing” is not easy to control
What are the effects and harms of using steering wheel cover on driving? According to the traffic and patrol police, the temperature is low in winter, people’s ability to respond and perceive will decline, and the use of steering wheel covers increases the difficulty of the driver’s control.
Secondly, in rainy and snowy weather in winter, roads often freeze. Using a steering wheel cover will reduce the friction between the steering wheel and hands. When encountering rainy and snowy roads and sharp turns, the steering wheel is not easy to control and is prone to slipping. It is not conducive to safe disposal when dealing with emergency situations, and the steering wheel is easy to drop, which affects safety and causes accidents.
In addition, the driver can also perceive the road conditions through the vibration of the steering wheel, especially when driving at high speed or making a sharp turn, the driver can make timely judgments and make emergency treatment through the steering wheel. After using the steering wheel cover, the friction between the hand and the steering wheel will be reduced to a certain extent, which will weaken the driver’s ability to perceive and judge the road conditions.
At the same time, using the steering wheel cover is also easy to make the steering wheel slip at critical moments. Especially for female car owners with petite palms, it is not suitable to use too thick steering wheel covers, otherwise it will be difficult to fully hold the steering wheel after putting on “clothes”, which will affect driving safety. Therefore, the traffic patrol police reminded that the steering wheel cover will increase the risk of driving, and the use of similar products should be avoided as much as possible.
How to choose the right steering wheel cover
The biggest disadvantage of the steering wheel cover is that it slips, and no matter how well-fitted the product is, it will also have a certain impact on the control. Therefore, when choosing a steering wheel cover, choose the inner friction force that is relatively large, and there will be no slippage after installation.
At the same time, the surface of the steering wheel cover should not be too slippery, such as steering wheel covers made of long-haired, linen, etc., which may slip and cannot be grasped during use. In addition, before use, check the workmanship on the surface of the steering wheel cover to see if there are some hard threads or hard folds, so as not to scratch the palm during use.
Choose a hand-stitched leather steering wheel cover
Since the use of steering wheel covers will bring safety hazards to driving, is it not possible to use steering wheel covers in winter and let your hands be cold? Besides using a steering wheel cover, is there any other way to keep warm? In this regard, the reporter interviewed Chen Yuanchuan, the coach of Wanzhou Tianhong Driving School.
“If you want to use a steering wheel cover to keep warm in winter, it is recommended to use a hand-sewn leather one.” Coach Chen introduced that the hand-sewn leather steering wheel cover is very different from the plush steering wheel cover that needs to be fixed with rubber on the daily market. One point is that it is really fixed on the steering wheel, there will be no relative displacement, and the steering cover will be tightly attached to the steering wheel during the sewing process, which can be completely fitted and avoid slipping.
At the same time, Coach Chen said that drivers can also wear a pair of more practical non-slip gloves when driving in winter. If you are using a steering wheel cover to keep warm, Coach Chen recommends directly buying winter gloves with anti-slip function, which is much safer than a steering wheel cover and can really keep you warm.
