Today's vehicles have bigger blind spots but not where you think
14 hours ago
- #automotive safety
- #road visibility
- #vehicle design
- Newer cars, despite advancements, may offer reduced user-friendliness in certain aspects compared to older models.
- A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that modern cars, especially SUVs, have significantly worse near-car visibility than older models.
- Visibility within a 10-meter semicircle in front of the car has decreased over time, with SUVs showing the most dramatic reductions.
- For example, the 2023 Honda CR-V allows drivers to see only 28% of the near-car semicircle, compared to 68% in the 1997 model.
- Design changes like higher hoods, larger side mirrors, and wider A-pillars contribute to reduced visibility around the front corners of modern vehicles.
- While visibility improves at distances beyond 10 meters, the study suggests that reduced near-car visibility may contribute to rising fatalities among cyclists and pedestrians.
- The IIHS is expanding its research to include more vehicle models and further investigate the impact of visibility on road safety.