Study on new regulation concerning

Driver’s field of vision

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

81th GRSG, October 9-12, 2001, Geneva

Contents

1. Background

2. Accident data

3. Blind spot on car

4. Existent national regulations concerning “Driver’s field of vision”

5. New regulation concerning field of vision

6. Estimation on the Accident decrease effected by improvement of visibility

BackgroundAccidents that seem to be caused by the blind spot

of driver’s field of vision have increased in number.Example; 1. Accidents that young children are sacrificed when the vehicle is

started 2. Accidents caused by remodeled MPV which remodeled to raise

height

“New regulation concerning driver’s field of vision”is expected.

Accident data

*Death in ‘96 – ’98 by traffic accidents occurred in immediate forward and left of vehicles when the vehicle is started

0

11

1

12

3

1

Saloon Multi Pur po s eVehicle

Off-road

younger th a n 1 3years old13years old orolder

Blind spot makes young children to go out of driver’s field of vision

Blind Spot on MPV (1)

The Influence of raising heights of vehicles on driver’s field of vision

２．４ｍ４．８ｍ

Blind spot is enlarged when vehicle height is raised.

５０ cm Ｕｐ

Blind Spot on MPV (2)

Existent regulation concerning driver’s field of vision (1)

The rear view mirror shall enable the driver in seating position to recognize at least part of a 30 cm diameter round column having a height of 1 meter which is placed in the area shown in the figure.

3) For “cab over” type Truck

(GVW is more than 8t) etc.

1) For passenger car2) For Bus and

Truck( other than 3))

0.3m0.3m

Bus

0.3m

2m

3m

truck

Eye pointColumn

Column Column

Existent regulation concerning driver’s field of vision(2)

The issue of the existent regulation is;

The existence of Blind spot near the vehicle caused by higher eye point of MPV

Field of vision(Passenger car)

0.3m

Eye point

Column

New draft regulation concerningdriver’s field of vision

Vehicle structure shall enable the driver in seating positionto recognize at least part of a 30 cm diameter round column having a height of 1 meter which is placed in the area shown in the figure.

This requirement may be complied by driver’s direct vision, or indirect vision made by rear view mirror or other devices. New draft field of vision

(Passenger car)

0.3m

Eye point

Column

Specification of the size of object

Figure of Five-years old children

Column of 1m in height and 30cm in diameter

１００．８ｃｍ

２７．９ｃｍ ３０ｃｍ

１ｍ

The object of driver’s recognition is specified here on the assumption that five-years old would be the lowest age with possibility to go out on road alone, based on sociologic analysis.

356

107

249296

47

249

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

SUM Younger than 13yaers old

Elder than orequal to 13years old

Before After

Calculated effect on preventing accidents occurred in the immediately near front or near left-side of MPV

*The figure is on the assumption that, 1) After the application of the new regulation, the MPV accident would occur in the same ratio as the other passenger car accident. 2) Even after the application of the new regulation, the accident involving persons elder than 13 years old would occur in the same ratio as the present accident, because they could be recognized by direct vision.

60 accidentsbe avoidable per 3 years

2 2

11

2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Immidiately nearfront or near side

Immidiately nearfront or near side

Before

9 fatal accidents be avoidable per 3 years

- 　 The reduction of fatal accidents -

Calculated effect on preventing accidents occurred in the immediately near front or near left-side of MPV

After*The figure is on the assumption that after the application of the new regulation, the MPV accident would occur in the same ratio as the other passenger car accident.