Quick: where should your hold the steering wheel? At the 10 and 2 o'clock position? Well, that's what I was taught by my driving instructor, too, ages ago ... but that turned out to be wrong:
As cars have become safer over the years, "the steering wheel and associated mechanisms (have) changed dramatically," it says, meaning the familiar driving maneuvers "needed to turn the wheel have all changed." Principal among the changes is the incorporation of airbag modules in the steering column, which are designed to deploy upward to protect your head and chest.
That means the higher up the wheel your hands are, the more likely they are to be directly over the plastic cover when it opens — that is, when superhot nitrogen gas flashes and inflates the bag at 150 to 250 mph.
Among the injuries the NHTSA reports from improper placement of the hands when an airbag deploys are amputations of fingers or entire hands, traumatic fractures and a particularly stomach-churning injury called "degloving," which — trust us — you definitely don't want to look up.
The new hand position is 9 and 3, or even 8 and 4: Link
... and I looked up "degloving" *shudders* You do it at your own risk, mmkay?
2nd gen airbags (anything past 1998) also only deploy at higher speeds thus preventing deployment in such circumstances as you describe.
Despite all of this I welcome you to drive with your head out the window at all times, if you wish.
CreamK, it's easy to say "that's stupid," but I doubt you have a better design for airbags that is practical to implement. If you do, great and good luck with your ingenious find. The airbag needs to be instantly in position for the head to hit it, and our body is built a certain way. Besides, 9 and 3 is perfectly fine and you'll find professional drivers on tracks driving that way.
- George Carlin
One thing that does increase your leverage is sitting closer to the wheel. Ask any rally driver. You can apply much more force with your arms bent at 90 degrees or so than with them almost straight. Many car drivers however seem to go for the almost straight position to the extent of reclining their seat to achieve it.