Blind spots are arguably one of the most well-known design flaws within many of today’s vehicles. Even though manufacturers have taken extensive steps to eliminate these and provide more visibility options, there have still been plenty of instances where a driver crashes into someone else due to not being able to see at a certain angle.
Unfortunately, there is one big blind spot that not a lot of drivers realize is on their vehicle. It isn’t to their side, their backs, or at a diagonal angle, it’s right in front of them. Many drivers of larger vehicles underestimate the size of the blind spots in front of their vehicles because they are looking forward constantly in the first place. Now is an essential time to review how this impacts your driving as more children will start roaming the streets in the next few months.
Not a full-frontal view
A recent investigation by 13 WTHR shows just how badly front blind spots are affecting Indiana and the rest of the nation. Their research reveals that there are 3,000 child injuries and 60 fatalities every year from frontover accidents. It has drastically increased over the last decade because of the increase in sales in large vehicles such as SUVs.
They also displayed a chart featuring how big the blind spots are for some of the larger vehicles. They ranged from 5’4’’ from a Jeep Renegade to 8’5’’ from a Cadillac Escalade. Many of these blind spot ranges were much taller than the average height of a small child.
Preventing future tragedies
The article does highlight how there’s been an increase in larger vehicles that have front-facing cameras, but many drivers often don’t see the use in them since they are always looking forward to begin with.
While front-facing cameras can help, motorists should be more concerned with what they place on their vehicles and what they do on the road. Adding accessories to the hood either to reinforce durability or for style purposes may obstruct the front view even more. Drivers of taller vehicles especially need to avoid getting distracted on the road in neighborhoods. Just a second or two looking away might be all a child needs to walk in front of a car or for a driver to not look fully when turning a corner.
Parents need to especially be careful with their children when they perform outside activities. Now is a great time to teach them street etiquette since they’ll like be spending more time outside for the next few months. If a reckless driver injures them despite their precautions, contact a personal injury attorney to help you seek damages against the motorist.
