Poor driver vision contributes to thousands of collisions each year across the country. Some of these collisions could have been avoided if motorists were more aware of their vehicle's blind spots and adjusted their driving behaviour.
Reversing Visibility Index
Our Reversing Visibility Index measures how well a driver can see out of the back of a car. We created the world's first index following a number of deaths of children from reversing cars in driveways.
With testing, we found all cars have a "blind area" that could easily hide a child. A reversing camera can greatly improve visibility for all types of vehicles, from 4WDs to small sedans.
Car Blind Spot Ratings
NRMA Insurance developed a Car Blind Spot Ratings system to measure blind spots in Australia's top selling cars.
Not only does this help you choose a safer car, but we shared the results with car manufacturers so they can consider this research in future vehicle designs.
Did you know?
- A cyclist or pedestrian can be lost in a blind spot from as close as nine metres and a driver can lose sight of another vehicle from about 20 metres.
- Driver vision is one area where new isn't always better. Some modern vehicle designs compared poorly against older cars that featured discrete, thin and almost vertical front pillars.
- In Australia every week, three children are run over in the driveway of their home.*
- More than a third of pedestrians aged under six killed in motor vehicle crashes are struck down 'off road' in yards, car parks and driveways.**
** Williamson, Ann et.al (2002) Analysis of motor vehicle related fatalities involving children under the age of 6 years (1995-2000).