Assessment of Vehicular Vision Obstruction Due to Driver-Side B-Pillar and Remediation with Blind Spot Eliminator

TL;DR

This paper assesses the visual obstruction caused by the driver-side B-pillar and introduces the Blind Spot Eliminator, a device designed to reduce blind spots and improve driver safety through experimental validation.

Contribution

It develops a quantification method for B-pillar obstruction and proposes a novel Blind Spot Eliminator to enhance driver visibility and safety.

Findings

The B-pillar significantly obstructs driver vision during blind spot checks.

The Blind Spot Eliminator reduces obstruction angle and required driver movement.

Prototype testing shows improved viewing ability with the Blind Spot Eliminator.

Abstract

Blind spots created by the driver-side B-pillar impair the ability of the driver to assess their surroundings accurately, significantly contributing to the frequency and severity of vehicular accidents. Vehicle manufacturers are unable to readily eliminate the B-pillar due to regulatory guidelines intended to protect vehicular occupants in the event of side collisions and rollover incidents. Furthermore, assistance implements utilized to counteract the adverse effects of blind spots remain ineffective due to technological limitations and optical impediments. This paper introduces mechanisms to quantify the obstruction caused by the B-pillar when the head of the driver is facing forward and turning 90 degrees, typical of an over-the-shoulder blind spot check. It uses the metrics developed to demonstrate the relationship between B-pillar width and the obstruction angle. The paper then creates a methodology to determine the movement required of the driver to eliminate blind spots. Ultimately, this paper proposes a solution, the Blind Spot Eliminator, and demonstrates that it successfully decreases both the obstruction angle and, consequently, the required driver movement. A prototype of the Blind Spot Eliminator is also constructed and experimented with using a mannequin to model human vision in a typical passenger vehicle. The results of this experiment illustrated a substantial improvement in viewing ability, as predicted by earlier calculations. Therefore, this paper concludes that the proposed Blind Spot Eliminator has excellent potential to improve driver safety and reduce vehicular accidents. Keywords: B-pillar, driver vision, active safety, blind spots, transportation, crash avoidance, side-view assist.