Backover Crashes

This year, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a long-delayed auto safety standard to improve vehicles’ rear visibility and prevent tragic deaths that occur when drivers back into people (often children) whom they cannot see. In a 2008 law named after Cameron Gulbransen, who was killed in such a crash at age 2 when his father backed over him, Congress directed DOT to issue a rear visibility standard. 

Every year more than 200 people are killed and another 15,000 are injured in these “backover” crashes.  Drivers using all three mirrors cannot see anything in a blindzone 10-40 feet long, directly behind their vehicles.  Consumer Reports has measured the blindzones of a number of popular vehicle models. The results for both an average-height driver (5 feet 8 inches) and a shorter driver (5 feet 1 inch) are listed in the accompanying charts.
click here for BlindZone information