Carmakers Told To Fix Big SUV's Front Blind Spot After Shocking Experiment

The perceived safety of driving a tall SUV like aCadillac EscaladeorChevrolet Tahoeis understandable. But despite being taller and heavier than a sedan, not all SUVs are equally safe in every crash-test scenario. More worryingly, SUVs pose a greater risk to pedestrians because of their tall bodies andmassive blind spots. Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) from earlier this year determined that SUVs are a biggerhazard for pedestrians when cornering, and now a prominent US Senator has questioned safety authorities in the country after a shocking investigation by aNews4I-Team in Virginia demonstrated just how bad modern SUV blind-spot zones are.

Using a typical SUV as a test vehicle, the team's demonstration saw them put a mom by the name of Christy Weeden behind the wheel of the SUV. One by one, the team placed children in front of the secured SUV to see how many it would take before Weeden saw one of them. It took ten children seated in a row before Weeden saw one of them, and the team measured a massive front blind zone of 16 feet.

"I was blown away by how children can be at real imminent risk," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal who sits on the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. "It was really frightening to see those kids lined up for that length in front of the car. Any car manufacturer seeing that kind of demonstration ought to be appalled and scared because it could be their kids in front of the car, could be anyone."