Vehicle steering assembly

A vehicle steering assembly for controlling movement of a vehicle having independently rotatable left and right ground-engaging traction elements, the vehicle comprising a control panel within reach of an operator of the vehicle, the control panel comprising a panel support structure for supporting at least one control or display mechanism of the vehicle, said steering assembly comprising:

• a steering handle coupled to the panel support structure and extending away from the panel support structure,
• wherein said steering handle comprises a laterally-extending crossmember and at least one upright extension member,
• wherein said crossmember and said upright extension member are rigidly connected to one another so that shifting of said crossmember relative to said extension member is substantially prevented,
• wherein said steering handle is shiftable in forward and rearward directions to thereby cause corresponding forward and rearward rotation of both of said left and right traction elements,
• wherein said steering handle is rotatable in clockwise and counterclockwise directions to thereby cause a change in the relative speeds and directions of rotation of said left and right traction elements,
• wherein said steering assembly is configured such that (i) shifting said steering handle forward from said neutral position toward a forward position causes forward rotation of both said left and right traction elements, (ii) shifting said steering handle rearward from said neutral position toward a rearward position causes rearward rotation of both said left and right traction elements, (iii) twisting of said steering handle clockwise from said neutral position toward a clockwise twisted position causes forward rotation of said left traction element and rearward rotation of said right traction element, and (iv) twisting of said steering handle counterclockwise from said neutral position toward a counterclockwise twisted position causes forward rotation of said right traction element and rearward rotation of said left traction element.