Study reveals alarming SUV visibility change compared to how it was in the '90s

A new study has revealed an alarming change in SUV visibility since the 1990s.

As pedestrian and cyclist deaths continue to rise, researchers have been looking into potential causes.

One study, undertaken by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, has found that SUV visibility has seen a decline in the past 30 years.

It took a look at 17 vehicles across six six nameplates, and what it found was alarming.

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How SUV visibility has changed since the 1990s

The study sought to analyze how blind spots had changed over the years, by looking at each generation of six cars released between 1997 and 2023.

These six cars were the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Suburban, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Toyota Camry, and Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The IIHS then set up a 360-degree camera system where the driver’s eyes would be.

Within a 10-meter radius, visibility dropped 58 percent for the SUVs over the 1997 – 2023 period.

The F-150 only saw a decline in visibility of 17 percent, but the IIHS noted that its visibility wasn’t the best back in 1997.

The Honda CR-V had the highest visibility dip – drivers could see 68 percent of the area in the 1997 model, and only 28 percent in the 2023 model.

“The across-the-board decrease in visibility for this small group of models is concerning. We need to investigate whether this is a broader trend that may have contributed to the recent spike in pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities,” IIHS President David Harkey said.

“This study also illustrates that the new method developed by IIHS gives researchers a straightforward, repeatable way to assess driver visibility.”

The researchers said tall hoods and oversized side mirrors were, in large part, to blame for the visibility drop.

Virtually every facet of cars has been analyzed

If there was ever something you were curious about when it came to cars, chances are there’s a study out there to answer your query.

One study found that front-facing green brake lights on cars were a massive benefit to everyone.

Another study discovered that affordable used cars were disappearing at an alarming rate, while another revealed the best and worst US states to be a driver in.

And that’s not even counting the endless studies about EVs.

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