DOT HS 810 909 September 2008 Light Vehicle Rear Visibility Assessment This document is available to the public from the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161 DISCLAIMER This publication is distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. If trade or manufacturers’ names or products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. ii Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. DOT HS 810 909 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date September 2008 Light Vehicle Rear Visibility Assessment 6. Performing Organization Code NHTSA/NVS-312 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. Elizabeth N. Mazzae and W. Riley Garrott, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 11. Contract or Grant No. Vehicle Research and Test Center P.O. Box 37 East Liberty, OH 43319 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Final Report National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 14. Sponsoring Agency Code 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 15. Supplementary Notes The authors thank G. H. Scott Baldwin, Jodi Clark, and Ed Parmer for their assistance with data collection. 16. Abstract This report describes a study in which the rear visibility characteristics of a set of 44 vehicles were measured. The visibility of a visual target consisting of a 29.4-inch-tall traffic cone (i.e., approximately the height of a 1-year-old child) was determined over a 6300-square-foot area stretching 35 feet to either side of the vehicle’s centerline and 90 feet back from the vehicle’s rear bumper. Rear visibility was measured for both a 50th percentile male driver (69.1 inches tall) and a 5th percentile female driver (59.8 inches tall). The areas over which the visual target was visually discernible using direct glances and indirect glances (i.e., using mirrors) was determined. Direct view (i.e., using glances out windows, not using mirrors) rear sight distances values taken in 1-foot increments across the back of vehicles were measured. The average of the eight distance values across the rear of the vehicle was then calculated. Direct-view rear sight distances were found to be shortest for small pickup trucks, compact SUVs, and compact passenger cars. Average rear sight distances were longest for a full-size van (45 feet), mid-size (44 feet) and large SUVs (≥ 34 feet), and large pickup trucks (35 feet). Rear, direct view blind zone areas for the vehicles measured were found to be smallest for small pickup trucks, compact passenger cars, and mid-size passenger cars. Direct view rear blind zone areas were largest for full-size vans, large and mid-size SUVs, large pickup trucks. Average blind zone sizes by vehicle types ranged from 100 square feet (small pickup trucks) to 1440 square feet (large SUVs). 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement Document is available to the public from the National Technical Information Service Springfield, VA 22161 19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 141 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized iii TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................. iv LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................... ix 1.0 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Backover Crashes and Vehicle Type................................................................. 1 1.2 Rear Visibility and Vehicle Type ........................................................................ 2 1.3 Study Objectives................................................................................................ 6 2.0 METHOD................................................................................................................. 8 2.1 Vehicle Selection ............................................................................................... 8 2.2 Data Collection Procedure ............................................................................... 10 3.0 RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 13 3.1 Rear Field of View............................................................................................ 13 3.2 Rear Longitudinal Sight Distances................................................................... 13 3.3 Average Direct Glance Rear Sight Distance .................................................... 18 3.4 Blind Zone Areas ............................................................................................. 21 4.0 RATING REAR VISIBILITY .................................................................................. 32 4.1 Insurance Australia Group Visibility Assessment Criteria ................................ 32 4.2 Comments on the IAG Visibility Assessment Criteria....................................... 32 5.0 DISCUSSION........................................................................................................ 36 5.1 Comparing Rear Visibility Data to Those of Related Studies ........................... 36 5.2 Rear Visibility Consumer Information............................................................... 36 5.3 Rear Visibility and the Driver............................................................................ 36 6.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................... 38 7.0 REFERENCES...................................................................................................... 40 8.0 APPENDICES....................................................................................................... 41 8.1 Appendix A: Graphical Plots of FOV Data ....................................................... 41 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Average Injury Incidence Per 100,000 Registered Vehicles Per Year in Utah for 1998 to 2003............................................................................................. 2 Figure 2. Consumer Reports Blind Spot Ratings by Vehicle Type ................................ 3 Figure 3. Visibility Distances by Vehicle Type [4; Paine, et al., 2003] ........................... 4 Figure 4. Sight Distance of a 50th Percentile Male Driver Viewing a 28-inch-tall Cone .6 Figure 5. Illustration of Field of View Range Measured............................................... 11 Figure 6. Illustration of 8 Sight Distance Data Points Measured and Definition of Sight Distance Terms............................................................................................ 14 Figure 7. Direct Glance Rear Sight Distance Averages by Vehicle Type for a 50th Percentile Male Driver Viewing a 29.4-Inch-Tall Traffic Cone ...................... 17 Figure 8. Direct Glance Rear Sight Distance by Vehicle Type for a 5th Percentile Female Driver Viewing a 29.4-Inch-Tall Traffic Cone................................... 18 Figure 9. Distribution of Average Direct Glance Rear Sight Distance Values for the 50th Percentile Male Driver.......................................................................... 20 Figure 10. Average Direct Glance Sight Distance by Vehicle Type for the 50th Percentile Male Driver.................................................................................. 21 Figure 11. Blind Zone Area: All 44 Vehicles.................................................................. 24 Figure 12. Blind Zone Area: Cars.................................................................................. 25 Figure 13. Blind Zone Area: SUVs ................................................................................ 26 Figure 14. Blind Zone Area: Pickup Trucks and Vans................................................... 27 Figure 15. Distribution of Blind Zone Area Data for Multiple Area Calculations............. 28 Figure 16. Direct View Blind Zone Areas for a 50th Percentile Male Driver, By Vehicle Type ............................................................................................................. 29 Figure 17. FOV Plot for a 2006 BMW 330i with 50th Percentile Male Driver................. 42 Figure 18. FOV Plot for a 2006 BMW 330i with 5th Percentile Female Driver .............. 43 Figure 19. FOV Plot for 2005 Cadillac STS a with 50th Percentile Male Driver ............ 44 Figure 20. FOV Plot for a 2005 Cadillac STS with 5th Percentile Female Driver .......... 45 Figure 21. FOV