Assessment of Vehicular Vision Obstruction due to Driver-Side B-Pillar and Remediation with Blind Spot Eliminator 2023-01-5056

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 cannot 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°, 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. The Blind Spot Eliminator is a lens on the rear-most section of the left driver’s side window that utilizes refraction to display objects in the surrounding areas. A prototype of the Blind Spot Eliminator was 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. This paper concludes that the proposed Blind Spot Eliminator has excellent potential to improve driver safety and reduce vehicular accidents.