historically accurate Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 My 15 yo has gotten her driver's permit. The problem is she is only 4'8" tall. That is most likely close to her full height. We've bought a cushion (booster) and it works for her to see over the steering wheel while still reaching the pedals. We have a visor extender on the list of future purchases. Anything else that may help her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusyMom5 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 Some cars have pedals that move up! The more the seat and pedals adjust, the better! I'm no help on cars- my 5'1" DD drives a Malibu. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 (edited) I'm only 4'10" (probably less due to age related height loss) and in most vehicles I haven't needed anything. I do sometimes think I should get a visor extender, but it hasn't yet made it high enough on my priority list that I've bothered to get one. But what she needs will really depend on the vehicle she's driving. If I wanted to drive DH's pickup truck I'd need a thick cushion and lots of seat and steering wheel adjustment, but we used to have a 35' long Class A RV that I could drive w/o a problem. We also used to have a Honda Fit that I hated driving because it had bucket seats and the dash was high, which is a bad combo for a short person. Some cars have adjustable pedals and you can add them (I think) to most any car. So check into that if she needs them. Edited September 28, 2022 by Pawz4me 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 My dd is 5’ 1”. She tends to drive smaller cars. And she struggles in bigger vehicles. Large trucks and suvs are out for her. She barely perched on the seat of the farm trucks at her summer job. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 (edited) My dd is 5'1" and she has to move the seat quite far forward so that she can reach the brake and gas pedals. To help diminish (in theory) the effects of potential air bag injury if it deploys, she reclines the seat so that there is some distance between her chest and the steering wheele. I don't know whether it would actually help that much in the event of the air bag deploying, but it gives her some piece of mind. She also has to remember to move the seat back after driving, or no one else can get in the driver's seat. 😉 We only have one vehicle that everyone in the family drives, and we're all pretty tall. Edited September 29, 2022 by wintermom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 I am about 4'10". For me, the car makes a big difference. Toyotas and Hondas tend to have more visibility due to their Windows angling down further. I know people have commented to me that they are worried about my safety as I sit so close to the steering wheel that in a crash, the airbag might really cause issues. I haven't done anything about it though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strawberries Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 Can you guys post links to some of the cushions/boosters you use? DD15 is 4'11" and just got her permit. We have discovered that she is too short to see over the steering wheel in my car, even with the seat adjusted up as high as it will go. No problem reaching the pedals; I guess it's her torso that is short? I drive a Hyundai Accent, fwiw. We're looking at cushions and want something that will boost her without sliding around or slowly sinking down under her weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historically accurate Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 4 hours ago, strawberries said: Can you guys post links to some of the cushions/boosters you use? DD15 is 4'11" and just got her permit. We have discovered that she is too short to see over the steering wheel in my car, even with the seat adjusted up as high as it will go. No problem reaching the pedals; I guess it's her torso that is short? I drive a Hyundai Accent, fwiw. We're looking at cushions and want something that will boost her without sliding around or slowly sinking down under her weight. This is the one we ended up with for DD. It seems to work well, but she hasn't had any trips longer than a half hour or so yet. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P1TDM28/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 This probably won’t help short term, but in the future — teach her to shop for cars with her height in mind. You can Google for lists that work for short people. This is soooo helpful to me. I used to plan on a day of just sitting in tons of cars trying to find one that works. Now we go armed with a list of potential options. We will try a place with many cars — Carmax, etc — just to get a feel for the ones that really work. Then we hit the dealership. I am 4’11” and have longer legs. This means I can reach with my feet, but seeing over the steering wheel is a problem. My SIL is the same height but has a long torso — she can drive cars that I can’t. I have never tried a cushion, other than at drivers ed as a teen, and have always managed to find a car that fits, but it definitely narrows down the options. As a general rule, I can make some models of Toyota and Honda work, Mercedes and Subaru also. I have not had a lot of luck with Hyundai, but the cushion might really help. Good luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 On 10/9/2022 at 11:54 AM, strawberries said: Can you guys post links to some of the cushions/boosters you use? DD15 is 4'11" and just got her permit. We have discovered that she is too short to see over the steering wheel in my car, even with the seat adjusted up as high as it will go. No problem reaching the pedals; I guess it's her torso that is short? I drive a Hyundai Accent, fwiw. We're looking at cushions and want something that will boost her without sliding around or slowly sinking down under her weight. I would go with something that is approved and certified as a backless booster seat. A cushion will not have been tested in that scenario and you don't know how it will affect the protection offered by the seat belt in the event of an accident. It will deform and may change the belt fit. There are boosters now designed for bigger kids that might work well and will position the seat belt properly in addition to raising your dd up. Here is one rated to 120 pounds (and I would use it beyond that rather than using a cushion that isn't approved for the use at all): Diono backless lightweight booster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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