Consumer Reports: As SUVs & pickup trucks grow in size, so do blind spots

By Jennifer Emert
ABC 13 News

   
As vehicles have grown in size, so, too, have the blind zones around them. However, there is currently no law requiring vehicles to have front cameras or sensors. (Photo credit: Consumer Reports)

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Pickup trucks and crossover SUVs dominate our roadways. And as pickup trucks and large SUVs grow in size, so does the risk to people around them — when drivers hit people directly in front of them because of dangerous blind zones just past the hood. Consumer Reports demonstrates how big these blind zones can be and how we can help to protect our families.

Consumer Reports: As SUVs & pickup trucks grow in size, so do blind spots

Influenced by Consumer Reports’ testing of rear visibility, backup cameras have been required on all new cars since 2018.

Backup cameras have saved lives by giving us all that additional view when we are moving backward. Now, we need to shift the focus to the safety in front of the vehicle.

Latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that in 2020 there were over 500 deaths and more than 10,000 “frontover” injuries due to forward-moving vehicles. A frontover injury happens when a vehicle moving forward runs over a person because of not seeing them, usually due to a blind spot.

And a disproportionate number of frontover victims are children, as these accidents mostly take place in driveways and parking lots. According to Kids and Cars, about 81% of victims are 6 years and under.