Citation

Sivak M, Schoettle B, Reed MP, Flannagan MJ. J. Saf. Res. 2007; 38(5): 557-561.

Affiliation

The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2150, U.S.A.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, U.S. National Safety Council, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jsr.2007.06.003

PMID

18023640

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This exploratory study investigated the relationship between vision obstructions from body pillars and lane-change crashes. METHODS: The vision obstructions were quantified by measuring, from the driver's perspective, the horizontal angular sizes and locations of the driver-side A-, B-, and C-pillars. The sample consisted of 21 vehicle models, including 13 passenger cars, 6 SUVs, 1 minivan, and 1 pickup truck. To control for driver differences, going-straight crashes were used for comparison, with the dependent variable being the ratio of lane-change crashes to going-straight crashes. The analysis used North Carolina crash data. RESULTS: The results of a multiple regression indicate that the relative frequency of lane-change crashes tended to increase with both wider A-pillars and with A-pillars located farther away from straight ahead. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The finding supports the hypothesis that visibility obstructions due to A-pillars have safety implications.

Language: en