Why car blind spots are increasing every year

 Modern vehicles are much bigger and heavier than they were at the beginning of the century. They also have many engineering solutions designed to protect the driver. However, these cars have larger blind spots. A new study shows that drivers today can see much less of the road compared to 25 years ago.

Motor1 wrote about it.

Reduced visibility

A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) showed that visibility within a 10-meter radius decreased by as much as 58% in the three cars tested. From 1997 to 2023, changes in vehicle blind spots were measured in each generation of the Chevrolet Suburban, Ford F-150, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Toyota Camry.

Over 25 years, visibility in the Honda CR-V deteriorated significantly. In 1997, drivers could see 68% of the area 10 meters in front of the car, but by 2022, visibility had dropped to 28%. The Suburban's visibility decreased from 56% in 2000 to 28% in 2023. For the large F-150 pickup truck, visibility decreased from an already low 43% in 1997 to 36% in 2015.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) links the reduced front visibility of the CR-V and Suburban to taller hoods and larger side mirrors, which can obstruct the view of children, pedestrians, and cyclists.

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Stable window

The Accord and the Camry performed much better. The Honda's visibility dropped only 5% in 25 years (from 65% to 60%). The Camry has barely lost any forward visibility over the years, dropping only from 61% in 2007 to 57%. According to the IIHS, both of these figures are within the margin of error.

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