The steering column of a vehicle is a long housing that contains the steering shaft which connects the steering wheel to the steering gearbox or steering rack. It is part of the steering system along with the steering wheel and steering gear. Steering wheel is a kind of steering control used in most modern vehicles including mass production automobiles, light and heavy trucks, buses and tractors. The rest of the steering system responds to the driver inputs through the steering wheel. The steering gear is what allows the driver to turn the front wheels of the vehicle in whichever direction he wants. There are four common manual steering gears currently in use. These are worm and sector, worm and roller, recirculating ball steering and the rack and pinion. The automotive steering column is essentially a mechanical device shaped like a rod, whose primary function is to connect the steering wheel to the steering mechanism. It may also perform certain secondary functions like energy dissipation management in the event of a frontal collision, height and length adjustments to suit the driver’s preferences and mounting for accessories like the multi-function switch, column lock, column wiring etc. Modern vehicles are also fitted with an anti-theft device called the steering lock.

In recent years, due to the demand for increased safety in vehicles, a new kind of steering column called the collapsible steering column has been developed. It is designed to collapse in the event of a collision so that the driver would be shielded from harm.