Analysis of Blind Areas in Different Categories of Vehicles Considering the Evolution of Projects and Legislation

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Analysis of Blind Areas in Different Categories of Vehicles Considering the Evolution of Projects and Legislation

Nogueira, Gabriel Fernandes Garcia / de Paula Brito, Gelcino / Borges, José Antônio Ferreira

The vehicular safety is a very important subject in Brazil, after all, 40,000 people died in the country in 2013 due the traffic accidents. This work investigates the legislation and the blind area evolution of several kinds of vehicles through the years. The studies associate the results to vehicle structures evolution (rear side columns), specific aspects of some projects (structural rigidity) and to the accessories adoption (mirrors, head restraints, jackets and baggage handlers in motorcycles). Blind area were measured in the vicinity of vehicles of different models and categories, considering drivers of several statures aiming at represent the real conditions found in the traffic. The study established that trucks, mainly in older models, presents larger blind areas than passenger cars, opposing the theory that height elevated vehicles guarantees better visibility. The modern design techniques based on simulation and computational optimization provided significant improvement in the structural rigidity of the vehicles. This permitted to increase the wheelbase, the internal space and improve the directional stability. However, an important amount of such structural rigidity was obtained by using a more closed geometry in the rear part of the vehicles, affecting the external visibility. In the motorcycle field, accessories and adaptations carried out without technical criteria or considering the safety of the pilot, the passenger and pedestrians makes the situation worse. The installation and use of accessories that do not follow the rules and legislation can impact the driver's visibility due to creating new blind areas.