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Fast Company
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fast Company
Driver blind spots are getting bigger. Blame new car design
The view from the driver's seat is changing—and becoming more dangerous. According to a new study from researchers at the U.S. Department of Transportation's Volpe Center in Massachusetts, the size of driver blind spots in vehicles has steadily increased over time. The study looked at six different models of top-selling cars sold in the U.S., including the Honda CR-V, the Chevrolet Suburban, and the Toyota Camry, and compared blind zones in different versions of those cars released between 1997 and 2023. Using a camera-based visual measurement tool, the researchers found that the forward blind zones in every one of the six cars got bigger in newer models. The worst-performing models—the CR-V and the Suburban—had forward visibility reductions of up to 58%. 'It's glaring, it's shocking, but it might not be surprising, given that we are seeing vehicles get larger and taller and heavier over the years,' says Becky Mueller at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, one of the report's coauthors. She is the lead engineer on driver direct vision research at IIHS, and helped develop a new method for measuring what a driver can see around a vehicle. How to measure a blind spot Using a three-piece rig and a camera-enabled smartphone, researchers can now take accurate measurements of the field of vision for drivers of varied heights in nearly any car on the market. For the study, published in the SAE International Journal of Transportation Safety, the researchers focused on forward visibility within a 10-meter radius of the vehicle, or roughly 33 feet. That's the average driver stopping distance at 10 mph, the speed at which car blind spots are a common factor in crashes. They studied six of the more common vehicle models that have been on the market continuously for at least the last 20 years. Measuring the direct vision field from different year models of each of those cars created a longitudinal data set that they could then use to track how blind spots have changed over time. What they found was a steady decrease in outward visibility. Honda's compact SUV model CR-V, for example, had a significant drop. Drivers of the 1997 CR-V could see 68% of the area 10 meters in front of the vehicle. By the 2022 model, they could only see 28% of that area. The larger Chevrolet Suburban SUV, also had a large decrease in visibility. Drivers of the 2000 Suburban could see 56% of the area 10 meters in front of the vehicle. Drivers of the 2023 model could only see 28%. 'We're interested in learning more about the new IIHS research and assessment approach and how it may relate to safety performance in the field,' says Chevrolet spokesperson Shad Balch. 'We believe in an approach that prevents a collision, starting with an attentive driver and supported by sensing and braking technologies. GM's active safety features constantly monitor vehicle surroundings, helping to protect occupants and others from all viewpoints.' The car size problem This data complements previous studies looking at the size and shape of cars, which, like car blind spots, are getting bigger. Over the past three decades, the IIHS found that the average U.S. passenger vehicle has gotten 4 inches wider, 10 inches longer, 8 inches taller, and 1,000 pounds heavier. The organization also found that vehicles with a hood height greater than 40 inches are about 45% more likely to cause pedestrian fatalities —road deaths that have increased nearly 40% since 2000. Mueller says vehicle design is playing a role in the decrease of forward visibility. She's noticed increases in the size of side- and rear-view mirrors and mirror casings, as well as of A-pillars, the part of the car frame that rises up from the hood over the front door. And while there are some regulations governing the minimum size of components like mirrors, there is no maximum size limitation. 'There just isn't a lot of guidance for vehicle manufacturers to know what is causing blind zones for drivers, and how to redesign so that they can mitigate some of those things,' she says. Some vehicle safety features may be compensating for the decrease in forward visibility. Chevrolet's Balch points to several safety features in new GM vehicles, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, HD Surround Vision camera systems, and side bicyclist alert. Other carmakers, like Volvo, have developed additional safety technologies that aim to reduce the likelihood that a driver will crash into a pedestrian or cyclist. Mueller says IIHS is currently in the process of expanding its vehicle blind zone analysis, looking at 150 different vehicle models. She says there will be an additional analysis of vehicle crash data to see whether there are connections between reduced visibility and increased crash rates. This is a particular concern when it comes to vehicle crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists, who are much more likely to be injured or killed than vehicle occupants. 'If we do find a strong correlation between larger blind zones and more crashes, that is something that we can make known to consumers, and then also make vehicle design recommendations that will help vehicle manufacturers design vehicles that minimize blind zones,' she says. The super-early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, July 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
ArabGT
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- ArabGT
Is It Just You? Nope—Visibility Is Worse in New Cars
It's often joked that 'they don't make things like they used to,' and when it comes to vehicles, that cliché might just hold water—especially regarding visibility. Forget conspiracy theories about built-in obsolescence or intentionally shortened gadget lifespans; this time, it's about something more tangible and measurable. If you've ever sat behind the wheel of a modern car and felt like you just can't see as well as you could in your old ride, you're not imagining things. A new scientific study proves you're absolutely right. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Volpe Center, has unveiled a new method to assess how much a driver can see out the front and sides of a car. Using a special portable camera setup, researchers captured the driver's field of vision, then used that data to calculate what percentage of the area directly in front of the vehicle—within a 10-meter radius—is actually visible. This new technique highlights just how much of the road is being obstructed by modern design elements like thicker A-pillars, higher hoods, and bulky side mirrors. This isn't just theory—it's backed by data spanning 25 years and multiple generations of some of America's most popular vehicles: the Chevrolet Suburban, Ford F-150, Honda Accord and CR-V, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Toyota Camry. The findings? Frontal visibility has significantly decreased across nearly all models. ' Take the Honda CR-V, for example: drivers could see 68% of the area within 10 meters in the 1997 model. Fast forward to 2022, and that visibility plummeted to just 28%. The Chevrolet Suburban saw a similar drop, from 56% in 2000 to 28% in the 2023 version. The Ford F-150, which started off at 43% in 1997, dipped to 36% by 2015. The sedans fared slightly better. The 2003 Honda Accord offered 65% visibility, and the 2023 version still retained a respectable 60%. The Toyota Camry dropped from 61% in 2007 to 57% in 2023. These declines, though smaller, still reflect a troubling trend. Why does this matter? Because limited visibility isn't just a nuisance—it's a safety issue. Between 1997 and 2023, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in the U.S. rose sharply—by 37% and 42% respectively. While the study doesn't draw a direct cause-and-effect line, it strongly suggests a correlation worth investigating. Ironically, while cars have gained more technology to aid visibility—think backup cameras, blind-spot monitors, and 360-degree sensors—these same tools may be enabling designers to rely less on glass and more on metal, reducing natural sightlines. Some vehicles, like the Polestar 4, have even eliminated rear windows entirely in favor of digital screens. It's also worth noting that the very safety standards intended to protect occupants may be contributing to this decline in visibility. Thicker A-pillars and more structural reinforcement help in rollover and crash tests, but they also block a driver's view. The IIHS itself has encouraged some of these changes through its safety ratings, inadvertently pushing automakers toward designs that obscure outward vision. The conclusion from the Volpe Center is clear: this new visibility-measuring technique offers valuable insight, and the trend it reveals—diminishing forward visibility—deserves further scrutiny. As vehicle designs evolve, it's crucial that outward visibility remains a core part of the safety conversation—not just for those inside the car, but for everyone sharing the road.
Forbes
28-06-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Blind Zones Block Drivers' Vision In Newer Vehicles, Study Shows
In some newer vehicles, blind zones are getting bigger and blocking drivers' vision. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety The blind zones of six popular passenger vehicles – Chevrolet Suburban, Ford F-150, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota Camry – grew substantially over the past 25 years and resulted in a decrease in forward visibility. Those are the main take-a-ways of a new study that evaluated the role newer vehicle design plays in driver visibility, released on Thursday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) , a nonprofit financed by the insurance industry. The research found that in some newer vehicles, blind zones are getting bigger and blocking drivers' vision. 'The across-the-board decrease in visibility for this small group of models is concerning. We need to investigate whether this is a broader trend that may have contributed to the recent spike in pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities,' David Harkey, the Insurance Institute's president, said in a statement. The study to assess how newer vehicle designs can block drivers' vision was conducted by the United States Department of Transportation's Volpe Center using a new technique of measuring a driver's direct area of vision around a vehicle that was developed by the Insurance Institute. The new method uses computational software and a portable camera rig to create a blind zone map and is more efficient than traditional blind zone mapping, the Institute said. Researchers examined and compared how the designs of the six top-selling vehicles changed over model years 1997 to 2023. Visibility reductions were most pronounced for the SUVs. Forward visibility within a 10-meter radius fell as much as 58% for three popular SUVs, according to the study. The most dramatic reduction came for the Honda CR-V, as the vehicle's hood, mirrors and A-pillars all obstructed a greater portion of the driver's view over time. Drivers of the 1997 model were able to see 68% of the area 10 meters in front of the vehicle, while drivers of the 2022 model can see only 28%. For the Honda CR-V (and the 2000 Suburban) the biggest changes in the blind zone were due to a higher hood that blocked more of the frontal plane and larger side mirrors that obscured the views at their front corners. In contrast, the early models of the two cars provided relatively good visibility that fell less than 8% in later generations, researchers said. The visibility reductions for the two cars were less severe. The smallest decrease came for the Accord, which permitted the driver to see 65% of the area 10 meters in front of the vehicle in 2003 and 60% in 2023. For the Camry, visibility decreased from 61% in 2007 to 57% in 2023. 'These results are notable because we already know that the portion of SUVs in the U.S. fleet grew substantially over these years as well,' Becky Mueller, senior research engineer at the Insurance Institute, said in a statement. She led the development of the new mapping technique and is a co-author of the Volpe Center study. 'If further research confirms that these changes reflect a general change, that would suggest that declining visibility in SUVs has compounded the effects of taller, blunt-nosed vehicles that IIHS has already documented,' Mueller added. The results of the study point to a troubling trend during the 25-year period assessed, according to the report, a time when pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities on U.S roads soared. Insurance Institute researchers noted that little is known about what role driver visibility has played in the increase, but they are in the process of conducting additional research to understand how blind zones affect pedestrian crash rates and insurance claims. For more information about the research, click here .
