A study of the automobile blind-spots' spatial dimensions and angle of orientation on side-sweep accidents

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of the spatial dimensions and angle of orientation of automobile blind spots during side-sweep accidents. A simulation framework was created that models in detail the situational awareness and decisions of the driver (e.g., checking mirrors before initiating a lane change). The simulation takes into account the detailed position of the blind spots, which depend on the geometry of the windows and mirrors of the vehicle. Using this simulator, a study was performed to evaluate the correlation between the magnitude and the orientation of the blind spots, the frequency of side-sweep accidents in various conditions (e.g., traffic density and relative velocity) and time to change the lane. Also, the number of side-sweep accidents was studied depending on the percentage and how often drivers look before changing lanes and drivers who failed to check their mirrors before a lane change.