According to official figures, around 1% of the road accidents that occur each year are caused by the driver having a blind spot, and as a result, approximately 25 people lose their lives. One of the major causes of blind spots is ironically enough related to a safety feature – windscreen pillars and door pillars that have tended to become wider on modern cars. The increase in size of the pillars has often come about in order to increase their strength and offer more protection in a collision, but that’s not the only reason. The other reason is to do with styling – modern car designers appear to favour designs with wide pillars, and they are sacrificing all-round visibility for cosmetic reasons.
