Is this dangerous to use in our trucks?

[RangerThailand]

In Sweden, where I come from, these are forbidden and it doesn’t matter if it’s a bus or your car. We was always told they where dangerous, but I am kind of split. On a parking lot they can be felt like a tool of heaven. And I can understand that if you using it in normal day traffic and having an accident, the force on that part will brake or get ripped out of your hands. What I can’t decide is if it will hamper in every day driving, not on a bus which a huge steering wheel but on a Ranger, and if there is more reason not to use it then using it....

 

[Uncle Gump]

We called them suicide knobs... I had one on one of my old Broncos with manual steering. It was handy due to the steering ratio on a manual steering box. However... when off road and hitting a rut I've had that thing nearly break my wrist jerking the wheel out of my hand. Another thing to consider is the fact that it would hurt you pretty bad if your body contacted the steering wheel in an impact situation.

Edit... I do believe they are now illegal for highway use at least in Michigan... USA

 

[Dirtman]

I have one on my truck. We also called them "necker knobs" because you would drive with one hand and hold your gal with the other.

Yes they are a tad dangerous used offroad or mounted in the wrong spot. They should be mounted low on the left or right side so there's less chance of hitting it in a crash.

I use mine because 99.9% of my driving is around town in little neighborhoods and parking lots so it makes taking a billion sharp turns a day slightly easier. If i did a bunch of highway driving only or offroading I would take it off.

 

[adsm08]

Those have been illegal here in PA at least since I started driving. They really aren't safe for use on something that sees the highway.

 

[91stranger]

check your local/state laws duh. Unless you have a handicap and require it like a missing arm like one of my ol friends I wouldn't bother unless it was for a riding mower.

 

[Dirtman]

Ha! Nj actually DOESN'T have a law against them... not often you get to say that about this dumb state!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have them on two of my tractors, they are a godsend for that. Low right side for me.

I don't think they would be as awesome in a car/truck though.

 

[Dirtman]

 

[racsan]

have that on my allis tractor, manual steering. very helpful, dad has one on his JD “A” also.

 

[sgtsandman]

I echo Adsm08, they are illegal in PA unless you have a handicap or it isn't a vehicle for on road use. I can see the benefits of one on a tractor but like mentioned above, they can be a detriment if the wheel jerks hard while driving off road. A major reason that people are taught to not wrap their thumbs around the steering wheel when driving off road. Thumbs have been broken or ripped off.

 

[RangerThailand]

Thailand is a rather strange country when it comes to laws and what’s legal or not. Just because they have a lot of them, and in many cases they are completely unlogic but that is not the reason for being strange. The reason is that no one cares about following them and there is no one (as in police) trying to catch those who brake them.

The best example for this has nothing to do with driving but still a huge income for Thailand and (sadly) a reason a lot of people travel here. Prostitution is illegal in Thailand. But if I stick to just driving and write a short list of everything you can NOT get stopped for and/or get a ticket for.

ANY modifications you do on your car, driving on a red traffic light, speeding, driving drunk (there are never any controls), not have a driving license, parking, driving against the traffic on a two lane motorway, having super dark windows so you can’t see who is driving, not have brake lights and still driving at night, have a red/blue flashing light on your car (the same as ambulance) when driving.

So having or not having a knob like this and what the laws say, is of very little concern here....

 

[RangerThailand]

I have one on my truck. We also called them "necker knobs" because you would drive with one hand and hold your gal with the other.

Yes they are a tad dangerous used offroad or mounted in the wrong spot. They should be mounted low on the left or right side so there's less chance of hitting it in a crash.

I use mine because 99.9% of my driving is around town in little neighborhoods and parking lots so it makes taking a billion sharp turns a day slightly easier. If i did a bunch of highway driving only or offroading I would take it off.

If your car has an airbag, I think it should stop any risk of hitting it in a crash. Holding your girl when driving the car sounds extremely stupid with or without one....lol

 

[Bill]

I don't think they are illegal anywhere in the US. There are some OSHA laws specifying if they can or can't be used on some commercial vehicles. But that's it.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Hmmmm... Not that I spent a lot of time searching Michigan's motor vehicle code... but a quick Google search says that Michigan doesn't have a law against them. I was always told they were illegal... I think starting with my father.

So dirtman... Your necker knob is for use with your right hand... if you used it for groping your girl... did you make her run along side of your truck?

 

[adsm08]

I don't think they are illegal anywhere in the US. There are some OSHA laws specifying if they can or can't be used on some commercial vehicles. But that's it.

They are definitely illegal in PA. It's not in the motor vehicle code, it's in the inspection book. The police can't ticket you if they find one, but unless the vehicle is set up for hand controls of the pedals (paralyzed driver) a tractor ball on the steering wheel is a hard fail on the safety inspection.

Now that said, in 10 years of doing inspections I only ran across one vehicle with one, and it was setup for hand controls. Good Lord was that thing a pain to drive with your feet.