Hats In The Car/A Newbie Question

bbshriver · Mar 11, 2010

No problem on either count in my 2005 Cadillac STS.
But then I'm 5'6".

Oddly, I DO have problems in my 1996 Jeep Cherokee. on both items!

But in the Cadillac I usually take it off and put it on the dash anyway... in the Jeep the dash isn't big enough to put anything on, go figure! I might have to get one of those roof hanger thingies, but is it OK for a "snap brim" to be turned up all the way around for storage?

Michaelshane · Mar 11, 2010

A snapbrim should always be snapped up when not being worn.

Havana · Mar 11, 2010

This is an interesting thread. I've been in the market for a late model full size work truck and just recently passed on one because the roof line was too low for any hat. I'm only 5'8" and had just about 2.5" of space between the top of my head and the roof. And this was in a full sized 2008 American truck! I was disgusted by this. The salesman thought I was nuts.
(Please don't ask which truck it was. I don't want to derail this thread. You've already got a one in three chance of guessing it.)

suitedcboy · Mar 11, 2010

I don't remove the headrest. I adjust their position in a way not provided due to their fixed mountings (Volvo's do not have adjustble headrests, they know best where it should be).

jamespowers · Mar 11, 2010

No head room problem in the 1957 GMC either. [huh]

WideBrimm · Mar 12, 2010

suitedcboy said:
No one mentioned the sun shielding feature of wide brimmed hats. I wear a western, 4 inch brim, hat almost 100% of the time driving. It is so effective at shielding sun. I never use the flip down sun visor and a slight tilt of the hat and you have perfect blockage that is so much more targeted than the obscuring sun visor. Also works at night.

I think in most states you'd have to put a hat on your license plate to stop camera tickets. In Texas they don't care who is driving, just who is registered owner.

My fedora with the 3 inch wide brim does a fine job of shielding me from the sun

.

In Colorado they compromised on camera tickets. To allow camera tickets at all (without requiring personal service of the citation) they decided to require an identifiable face photo in order to send the ticket in the mail.

The ticket goes to the driver.

Fedoration · Mar 12, 2010

I usually have trouble wearing hats in cars since I am 6.2". My current car is an Audi RS4 which isn't exactly renowned for having much headroom in the first place. Most European sedans I've driven wouldn't allow for proper hatwearing because of the headrest anyway so that's to bad. I am still kinda hoping for a genius to figure out a headhatrest.

Cracker · Mar 12, 2010

Man, I'm starting to wonder what's wrong with me. I'm 6'-5", and I have absolutely no problems wearing my fedoras in my Honda Accord. I guess I'm probably tall enough that the headrest only comes up to the base of my neck, but even my Stetson Open Road doesn't touch the roof. I just have a duck a hair lower getting in and out of the car.

JimWagner · Mar 12, 2010

Cracker said:
Man, I'm starting to wonder what's wrong with me. I'm 6'-5", and I have absolutely no problems wearing my fedoras in my Honda Accord. I guess I'm probably tall enough that the headrest only comes up to the base of my neck, but even my Stetson Open Road doesn't touch the roof. I just have a duck a hair lower getting in and out of the car.

Nothing's wrong with you. I'm going to guess that you drive with the seat run back far enough so your arms are almost straight out at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel and the seat is leaning back as well. Like in a sports car.

As opposed to the seat back straight up and down and you hunched over the steering wheel banging your hat brim into the windshield.

NukeMeSlowly · Mar 12, 2010

AlterEgo said:
According to automobile safety experts, the head of a car occupant should be no more than two inches from the head restraint in order for it to provide any protection from whiplash.

What this means for us is that we're taking a calculated risk to wear a hat with a brim having more than a two-inch brim while driving or riding in a motor vehicle.

For me, practically speaking, if I'm wearing a hat with much more than a 2 1/2-inch brim, the head restraint knocks it akimbo, so I have to remove it even though I'd rather keep it on to keep the sun out of my eyes and/or for warmth when the sunroof is open. Style? Oh, of course not, who needs to look good while driving?! Ahem.

Since the widest brim hat I regularly wear while driving is my Fed IV Deluxe with its 2 3/4 inch brim at the rear--it's really less than that since I have it curled upward, which also allows it to bend up as it brushes against the head restraint--this has not been much more than an annoyance that necessitates the occasional readjustment. I have a 3-inch brim Akubra Lawson that will arrive soon and wonder what I'm going to do.

So, what do y'all do when in a car or truck? Wear the wide-brimmed hat and accept the risk; take the the hat off; or drive a 40+-year-old vehicle, which avoids the issue but punts safety entirely?

Sorry if I missed this but can't you lower the headrest a bit so it meets the back of your head BELOW the rear brim of your hats? This is what I do in my Toyota Coralla.

NukeMeSlowly · Mar 12, 2010

Michaelshane said:
This is Bently.....No problem here.

I gotta ask: how do you keep your hat from flying away while driving?

jamespowers · Mar 12, 2010

NukeMeSlowly said:
Sorry if I missed this but can't you lower the headrest a bit so it meets the back of your head BELOW the rear brim of your hats? This is what I do in my Toyota Coralla.

In the Toyota, the head rest would be least of my worries.

Carlisle Blues · Mar 12, 2010

Driving with my brimmed hat in my Toyota Highlander is safe and I have plenty of room...

Mr E Train · Mar 12, 2010

Michaelshane said:
A snapbrim should always be snapped up when not being worn.

Thanks for that. That answers a question I've had in the back of my head for a while, but I never remembered to ask it or search the thread archives for an answer. I always snap the brim up on snap brims when not being worn, just because instinctively it seemed like the common sense thing to do. For once, my instincts were correct.

Cracker · Mar 12, 2010

JimWagner said:
Nothing's wrong with you. I'm going to guess that you drive with the seat run back far enough so your arms are almost straight out at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel and the seat is leaning back as well. Like in a sports car.

You're right, I'm practically sitting in the backseat to fit into it anyway. lol

jamespowers · Mar 12, 2010

Carlisle Blues said:
Driving with my brimmed hat in my Toyota Highlander is safe and I have plenty of room...

Carlisle Blues · Mar 12, 2010

jamespowers said:

lol lol lol lol That is my atavist mobile...

jamespowers · Mar 12, 2010

Carlisle Blues said:
lol lol lol lol That is my atavist mobile...

That accelerates without having your foot on the gas pedal.

Carlisle Blues · Mar 12, 2010

jamespowers said:
That accelerates without having your foot on the gas pedal.

That actually happened to me once with my Chevy Nova, my favorite car. I was on the Belt Parkway in NY going to pull a midnight shift. Thankfully the roads were pretty clear..

jamespowers · Mar 12, 2010

Carlisle Blues said:
That actually happened to me once with my Chevy Nova, my favorite car. I was on the Belt Parkway in NY going to pull a midnight shift. Thankfully the roads were pretty clear..

So you are right at home in a Toyota.

lol

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