Driving with one hand on the wheel?

[PassingStranger]

Somebody that I'm regularly a front seat passenger of drives with one hand on the wheel sometimes.

AIBU to keep mentioning it. They assume me all is fine and we haven't had an accident yet?

It makes me a little uncomfortable though.
They aren't doing anything else with the other hand, they just feel they don't always need both hands.
AiBU.

I actually read somewhere once that people who drive with one hand are actually more responsive to the movements of the car and therefore safer drivers vs the 10 to 2 ers who movements can often be Jerky and grip the wheel

GasPanic you are technically correct and certainly when I was learning to drive that's what you were officially told.
However, truth is, I just found that my hands migrated to the one hand on the wheel, one hand on the gearstick arrangement totally unconsciously. And that's how I find myself driving all these years on. I don't notice that it has happened, it's a natural way to position myself.
I'm pretty certain that every other manual driver I've ever travelled with has done/does the same as I do.

I have no idea about autos...I have actually never driven one.

I drive with one hand on the wheel. most of the time you only need one hand. I couldn't change it, it's my driving style. If you were my passenger and kept mentioning it I wouldn't be driving you anywhere again!

I learnt to drive manual and so my hand does sit on the gear stick a lot, even in our automatic car. It’s muscle memory. Even when both hands are on the steering wheel as I slow on the approach to a junction, my hand will still fall back to the gear stick.

I also disagree that the first thing you do when something happens is to put both hands on the steering wheel. Maybe if you’re careening out of control. If someone pulls out in front of me, the first thing I do is apply the brake. Muscle memory then kicks in a fraction of a second later and my hand will be on the gear stick ready to move down a gear anticipating a stop while my eyes flick to my mirrors to assess my situation behind me.

If someone kept making comments about my driving they would be politely be told where the nearest bus stop is.

If you were my passenger I think you would be walking.

I drive an automatic so often my hand just rests in my lap. Sometimes I have both hands on the wheel but I hold it very low down anyway so often my other hand just moves into my lap.

Not when going round corners obviously

You sound like a nervous passenger

One of my driving instructor’s teaching methods was for me to drive just with one hand on the wheel while I got more comfortable with the gear stick. Obviously it’s a different situation to everyday driving, but I don’t think he would’ve gotten me to do this if it were inherently dangerous.

I started my lessons in a manual and changed to an automatic. My automatic instructor actually told me I drive better with only one hand on the wheel because I'm not moving the wheel about as much.

Thinking about it, I'm left handed and I don't tend to leave my hand on the gearstick unless I'm driving in traffic or other conditions that require frequent gear changes. But I sometimes have just one or the other hand on the wheel under "low demand" conditions.

I was paying attention now and then to "what do I do?" after my eldest recently asked me about my hand position (she had a few lessons, paused for a gap year, thinking about restarting lessons but hasn't yet). Motorway driving and similar, I spend part of the time with my hands resting on my thighs, for a more relaxed position. Anything going on, my hands straight away move higher up the steering wheel.

If you are an experienced driver, I think for longer drives most of us will develop alternative positions and lower tension options so that you can vary your driving position in small ways intermittently for comfort. They don't impact control I don't think, there's little difference between sliding your hands higher and holding the wheel more firmly, vs going from loose to firm hold if your hands were high already.

I usually only have one hand on the wheel. I’ve never had accident in 30 years of driving.

What about people who only have the use of one arm? Are they allowed to drive a car with no adaptions?

I often do this because it just feels easier to have one hand close to the gear stick when you need to regularly change gears.

I wouldn't go round a corner, roundabout, overtaking move one-handed.

YWBVU if you don't like my driving, feel free to book & pay for a taxi.

Quite. Hope they don't regret it when they have a blow out.

If you're not happy in the car don't go with them......simple......

@Topseyt123 I assume you have both hands on the wheel while you are driving?

Well I'd have failed my test if I didn't replace the hand on the wheel immediately after changing gear, and I try to retain driving techniques that would be required were I to lose my licence. Also because I often drive considerably above the speed limit on motorways.
Whilst you are therefore technically correct, it's often extremely hard for people to change habits they've got into, so they will react rather badly to it being pointed out. I'd not say anything and arrange a different lift if I didn't like the driving.

This is how I drive, have done for over 30 years and touch wood, never had an accident

YABU Op.

How else are you supposed to text?

Because I'm not a nervous Nerris, I mainly drive with one hand on the wheel. The other is either resting on the gear stick, my lap, passengers leg etc. Its fine.

I had a think about this and I drive with 2 hands on the wheel most of the time - obvious exceptions such as gear change etc. It's how I was taught and I've stuck with it but that was 30+ years ago though so I'm wondering if the rules have changed.

AIBU to keep mentioning it.

Yes - you are I'm afraid. You have two choices as a passenger now - get in the car and accept it, or don't get in the car if you consider it that dangerous.

You can't be policing someone else's driving.

My DH does this and I don't like it either. I tend to drive more than he does as generally I prefer to drive, but when he is driving I don't say anything. He's the driver. He's the one that makes choices about how he drives. Your options as a passenger are another matter.

If he was driving dangerously or going way too fast, yes, I would say something, but not repeatedly. If I felt his driving was exceptionally dangerous I would just stop getting in the car with him.

I agree with other posters that this is quite common in manual cars, particularly in traffic when you're having to change gear a lot. I used to drive like that when I had a manual and some of it has stuck.

Now I've got an auto I'm a two handed driver, unless I'm stuck in traffic, then I'm one-handed with my left elbow on the centre console arm rest.

What about the burger? 🤣

OK. Won't mention it again. That's why I asked AIBU, it seems I was.

I noticed this while watching the F1 yesterday.

As they approach the high speed S all of them were taking a hand off the wheel and waving it in the air in order to navigate the curves more smoothly.