Safe Speed Forums

I think I'm off to get my eyes tested.

I leave for work at just after 7:00am and on Monday as I was on my way to work I approached a roundabout. There was a red car coming from the right, which was indicating left to turn into the road I was on, a silver Vectra coming from the left, indicating left to take the road I wanted and the sun at about 9 degrees angle directly in front of me. I approached at just less then 30mph, bleeding speed off without braking, keeping an eye on both these cars: the red did indeed turn left and the Vectra stopped with his eyes on me. I had one last scan of the roundabout itself, couldn't see anything and then checked to the right again. Satisfied all was clear, I used my accelerator to enter the roundabout and...whoa!

Just as I start to cross the give way line, I see a blue blur just visible on the inside of my A-pillar. Without too much in the way of extra checking, I stomp hard on the brakes (ABS) and steer hard to the left, hoping that this car, bike, or whatever isn't taking what would be the first exit for me. Thankfully, he goes right round the roundabout and takes the road I was heading for, I am able to ease off the brakes and follow him off the roundabout.

How did I not see this car? Could my A-pillar really have obscured my view of him for my entire approach? I really don't know where this car came from and am now really quite worried. An eye-test is booked for this Saturday as I drive 30-40,000 miles a year for work and can't be having situations like this.

What car do you drive? There are some modern ones with appalling A-pillar problems.

Last year I had the unpleasant task of driving a near-new Astra. Disregarding the quite astoundingly poor quality of almost all features of this car I took time to consider the windscreen pillars. At eye level these are not only wider then the distance between my eyes, they are wider than my head. It was impossible to see round these pillars without sitting up in the seat and leaning forwards. In normal use they obscure a substantial area of road, easily big enough to hide an incoming car.

Lexus IS - quite a thick A-Pillar.

I am almost 100% certain he didn't come from the road on the right, I'm pretty sure he came from the road dead ahead and went right round the roundabout, I was watching to the right and had a good view before I committed onto the roundabout.

I don't know if it was A-pillar or what, the sun was low, but very weak and I didn't have difficulty seeing anyone else.

You quite probably looked.

I moved my head and it was still impossible to see a large chunk or road, biggest enough to hide a car, when sitting in a newish Astra, without sitting up in the seat (not easy) and looking round the a pillar.

I wonder if the claimed improvement in roll-over safety (this is why they are doing it isn't it?) offsets the actual injury and death caused to other people.

I suspect he came from the right, in front of or alongside the red car and your A pillar masked his approach as you approached the roundabout.

I've had a Toyota pickup disappear in my A pillar blindspot in exactly those circumstances.



No, it's strengthening the occupant cell, i.e. the bit you sit in, from frontal and side impacts to give good scores in Euro NCAP tests.

Well, I wonder if the improvement in frontal and side impact safety for NCAP tests offsets the actual injury and death caused to other people then.

From what you've said, Brian, I wouldn't go to the eye doc just yet

A-pillars in "moderns" can be a royal pain in the arse. Couple of months ago I was approaching an "open" t-junction looking to turn right. So I decelerate on approach with a long look left: no cars on the left; a quick look right: no cars on the right. I execute the turn.

To the dulcit tones of my missus, "Simon, FFS!!!!"

I'd turned into the path of a car coming from the left

It was a VERY near miss.

The next time I negotiated the junction in question, I examined every angle and possibility to understand how and why it happened. The problem was that as I approach the junction, the nearside a-pillar blind spot "tracks" left to right as I get nearer to the give way line, and when approaching and slowing at a certain rate, that blind spot [i]precisely[/] masks a car coming from the left. Very scary.

Modern a-pillars do cause visibility problems. The solution is - literally - to work around them.

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Simon

Perhaps but I don't buy a car based on how safe it is for people I run into because I'm not planning on running into anyone.

I think you'll find it difficult to sell 3rd party safety unless there is a side benefit such as lower insurance premiums.

Thanks for the advice guys. Have had them tested and they're fine.

Just a bit of a fright hey!

Could this be one of the reasons for the increase in crashes? People are safer if they are in a frontal/side impact, but what if the safety features are creating more crash scenarios? Would both cars then be more prone to spinning after crashes at certain speeds?

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Prepare to be Judged