'90s cars had fewer blind spots than today's cars - IIHS study
In the last 25 years, the number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities on US roads has increased by 37 per cent and 42 per cent respectively. And increasingly, experts are pointing to impaired visibility as one of the key causes. A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows just how much the driver's field of vision has changed over that time.
Here's What We Know
The IIHS analysed 17 popular car models in different generations from 1997 to 2023: the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Suburban, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Toyota Camry and Jeep Grand Cherokee. The measurement used a 360-degree camera mounted at the driver's eye level and assessed what percentage of the space within a 10 metre radius around the car the driver could actually see.
The results were alarming: in SUVs, visibility dropped to 58 per cent compared to models from the late '90s. In the F-150, the drop was "only" 17 per cent, but the IIHS specified that visibility in this pickup was already poor in 1997. But in Accord and Camry sedans, the index has not changed much - the deterioration does not exceed 8%.
The visibility of Honda CR-V has fallen especially badly:
: the driver of 1997 model sees 68% of space in front of the car, and in 2022 - only 28%. At the same time Chevrolet Suburban visibility has decreased from 56% to 28%.
The main reasons are high bonnets and enlarged side mirrors that block the view of areas in front of the vehicles' front corners. This is especially dangerous in city driving, where pedestrians and cyclists often fall into these blind spots.
According to IIHS President David Harkey, even such a small sample gives cause for concern. The new measurement method allows for a standardised assessment of visibility and allows the approach to be applied to a wider range of vehicles.
Source: Carscoops
