New Cars

hextal

04/11/2010 at 20:17

I am going somewhere with this one.

I had to hire a car for work today - new astra.

I was, at the risk of sounding melodramatic, astounded by the lack of vision due to the new style split-type A pillar.

It splits from about half way up, with a glazed section between the two lower sections. However, with the lining, vents etc you are left with a very large section of vision obscured. I was like some demented nodding dog every time I arrived at a junction, trying to check the blind spot.

This appears to be becoming a more standard thing on modern cars. Not that I'm sure how they would measure, but would be interesting to know if the amount of smidsy type incidents at junctions etc increases with these type of pillar configurations.

FJSRiDER.

04/11/2010 at 21:02

hextal wrote (see)

This appears to be becoming a more standard thing on modern cars. Not that I'm sure how they would measure, but would be interesting to know if the amount of smidsy type incidents at junctions etc increases with these type of pillar configurations.

Not that new

I work on the theory that if I can't see the drivers face they can't see me. So I manoeuvre into a position (and/or slow) until I can.

The other way round I've noticed that my Rover 75 (Rover the dog) is pretty bad for this while my wife's Volvo S60 less so.

hextal

05/11/2010 at 11:18

Cheers for link.

Have to say that while it was something that I had a vague recollection of being brought up before, it was not something that I had ever experienced, so was quite surprised (I tend to buy old cars 3rd, 4th hand so i'm not used to these new fangled set-ups).

Agree on the eye contact thing, also do the same in reverse, when i'm in the car at a junction and a bike is coming I tend to exaggerate the eye contact (not that I can always see their eyes, but you get what I mean).

Though saying that i've had occasions where someone has been looking straight at me, then pulled out and been genuinely shocked to see me. Back onto the old brain filtering objects discussion again.

Ben Cope

05/11/2010 at 12:05

I drove an Audi A3 the other day, new shape. The A-pillars totally obscure vision to the point of being dangerous. Merc A-Class as well. Not sure how they get these through any testing..?

FJSRiDER.

05/11/2010 at 13:37

Admin wrote (see)

I drove an Audi A3 the other day, new shape. The A-pillars totally obscure vision to the point of being dangerous. Merc A-Class as well. Not sure how they get these through any testing..?

They are like that as they are designed to protect the car occupants.

I guess that it works as well as compulsory seatbelt wearing - it will not reduce the numbers KSI'ed on the roads. But they will be transferred from inside to outside the vehicle.

The Spin Doctor

05/11/2010 at 14:45

I seem to recall a Volvo truck had to be recalled 2, maybe 3 years back after a series of accidents at junctions revealed that the mirrors totally obscured the driver's view when trying to emerge from side roads, so it's not just cars.
Take a look at the rear and rear three quarter view out of the average car too - there are huge blindspots caused by the C pillars and the passenger seat headrests, and the facts that many cars now have very small passenger side windows and the rear windscreen is often blacked out round the edges, further increasing the blind area. I never assume a driver has seen me in his mirrors.

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hextal

06/11/2010 at 13:28

Yeah - its one of the things I noticed when looking around at a car for our lass about a year ago. They had a real corridor type effect inside with lots of the peripherals lost and big bulky posts.

Understand the logic in terms of the strength, but as has been mentioned when the trade off is a potential increase in likelihood then it really needs further work

on-cam

24/11/2010 at 00:18

best thing you can do with a cage is tow your tack bike to the track. for everything else, on yer bike mate!!!

I agree, we were sat in a few new cars recently - my other half was looing for a new car or rather picking one out for me to buy!!! - The vision is piss poor in most new cars, worryingly so.

on-cam

24/11/2010 at 00:19

now, check out how poor the views are in an EU artic lorry, they cant see much at all!!!!

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