Controls Reach-The Hand Reach of Drivers

This report describes a series of three-dimensional boundaries beyond which it is confident that at least 95% of the drivers of the United States population can reach and operate a simple three-finger-grasped control. Consideration is given to a reach task when drivers are restrained by a nonextending shoulder belt and when they are unrestrained. The background data used to develop these boundaries were collected in the SAE Controls Reach Study in June-August 1971 in which over 250 subjects were measured in three test fixtures representing a sports car, passenger car and a heavy truck. Finger-grasped reach was recorded to 40 locations in front of the driver.