The Problem of Blind Spots
The area behind your vehicle can be a killing zone.

February 17, 2005
 

Every year, children are injured and killed because drivers (in some cases, parents) don't see them while backing up. According to Kids and Cars (www.kidsandcars.org), a nonprofit group that wants to improve child safety around cars, backover incidents killed 91 children in 2003. Those deaths represented a 57 percent increase from 2002.

A contributing factor is that larger vehicles (SUVs, pickups, and minivans), which have become increasingly popular, have larger blind spots than passenger cars. A blind spot is the area behind a vehicle that a person can't see from the driver's seat.

To help consumers understand how large some blind spots are, Consumer Reports has measured the blind spots of a number of popular models. The results for both an average-height driver (5 feet 8 inches) and a shorter driver (5 feet 1 inch) are listed in the chart below.

To measure the blind spots, a 28-inch traffic cone was positioned behind the vehicle at the point where the driver could just see its top. As the illustration shows, longer and taller vehicles tend to have significantly larger blind spots. (The shading shows the length of each blind spot; lighter for an average-height driver, darker for a shorter driver.)

Bottom line: Your best defense against backover accidents is to get out of your vehicle and check behind it just before you back up. If kids are nearby, make sure you can see them while backing up.


Blind-spot measurements

This chart shows the length of the blind spot of each listed vehicle. The distance noted is how far behind the vehicle a 28-inch traffic cone had to be before the person, sitting in the driver's seat, could see its top by looking through the rear window.

Make/model
Year
Driver 5 feet 8 inches
Driver 5 feet 1 inch

FAMILY SEDANS

Toyota Prius

 2004
7'
14'

Kia Optima EX

 2004
9'
13'

Volkswagen Passat GLX

 2003
9'
23'

Hyundai XG350 L

 2003
9'
24'

Nissan Altima 2.5S

 2005
11'
21'

Chevrolet Malibu Base (4 cyl.)

 2004
12'
17'

Chevrolet Malibu LS (6 cyl.)

 2004
12'
17'

Mazda6 s (6 cylinder)

 2003
12'
19'

Mazda6 i (4 cylinder)

 2003
12'
22'

Nissan Maxima 3.5 SE

 2004
12'
27'

Honda Accord EX (4 cylinder)

 2003
13'
17'

Pontiac Grand Prix GT2

 2004
13'
20'

Honda Accord EX (6 cylinder)

 2003
13'
23'

Toyota Camry

 2005
13'
24'

Subaru Legacy L

 2003
13'
25'

Saturn L300

 2003
13'
27'

Chevrolet Impala LS

 2004
14'
26'

Buick LaCrosse CXL

 2005
15'
21'

Suzuki Verona LX

 2004
15'
22'

Chevrolet Malibu LS Maxx

 2005
17'
23'

Dodge Stratus SXT

 2004
18'
22'

Pontiac G6

 2005
18'
27'

Mitsubishi Galant ES

 2004
19'
25'

Ford Taurus SES

 2004
21'
23'

Mitsubishi Galant GTS

 2005
21'
29'

SMALL SEDANS

Chevrolet Aveo LS

 2004
5'
10'

Toyota Prius

 2004
7'
14'

Toyota Scion xA

 2004
7'
11'

Toyota Scion xB

 2004
8'
11'

Chevrolet Cavalier LS

 2003
9'
17'

Mazda3i

 2004
12'
22'

Suzuki Forenza S

 2004
13'
16'

Kia Spectra EX

 2004
13'
20'

Saturn Ion 3

 2003
14'
25'

Dodge Neon SXT

 2003
17'
43'

Suzuki Aerio GS

 2003
23'
49'

LARGE SEDANS

Buick Park Avenue Ultra

 2003
9'
20'

Ford Five Hundred SEL AWD

 2005
10'
16'

Ford Five Hundred SEL FWD

 2005
10'
16'

Kia Amanti

 2004
10'
21'

Mercury Grand Marqui LSE

 2003
11'
23'

Toyota Avalon XLS

 2003
15'
25'

Chrysler 300 Touring

 2005
16'
23'

Chrysler 300C

 2005
16'
23'

UPSCALE SEDANS

Infiniti G35

 2003
11'
20'

Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Limited

 2005
11'
18'

Audi A4 1.8T

 2004
11'
19'

Cadillac CTS

 2003
11'
25'

Volvo S40

 2004
11'
18'

Lexus ES330

 2004
12'
19'

Volvo S60 2.5T

 2004
13'
19'

Saab 9-5 Arc

 2004
13'
19'

Acura TSX

 2004
14'
12'

Lincoln LS Premium

 2003
15'
26'

Saab 9-3 Aero

 2003
16'
29'

Acura TL

 2004
16'
22'

Volkswagen Passat GLS TDI

 2004
10'
15'

LUXURY SEDANS

Lexus LS430

 2003
9'
16'

Jaguar XJ8 Vanden Plas

 2004
11'
19'

Jaguar S-Type

 2004
10'
21'

Mercedes-Benz S430

 2003
11'
22'

Mercedes-Benz E320

 2004
12'
18'

Lincoln Town Car
standard wheel base

 2003
12'
21'

BMW 745Li

 2003
14'
25'

BMW 530i E60

 2004
15'
21'

Volvo S80 T6

 2004
15'
19'

Audi A8 L

 2004
20'
27'

WAGONS & HATCHBACKS

Volvo V50 T5

 2005
8'
13'

Subaru Outback 2.5i

 2005
13'
18'

Dodge Magnum SXT

 2005
13'
22'

Mazda6 wagon

 2004
16'
19'

Pontiac Vibe

 2003
17'
33'

Chevrolet Malibu LS Maxx

 2005
17'
23'

SMALL SUVS

Subaru Forester 2.5 X

 2003
7'
12'

Pontiac Aztek

 2003
9'
14'

Toyota RAV4

 2004
12'
22'

Ford Escape XLT

 2004
13'
16'

Kia Sorento EX

 2003
14'
26'

Mitsubishi Outlander XLS

 2003
15'
26'

Saturn Vue V6

 2004
16'
22'

Chevrolet Equinox LT

 2004
18'
28'

Honda Element EX

 2003
18'
35'

Subaru Outback 2.5i

 2005
13'
18'

MIDSIZED & LARGE SUVS

Mitsubishi Montero Limited

 2003
11'
23'

Volkswagen Touareg

 2004
11'
22'

Subaru Outback 2.5i

 2005
13'
18'

Toyota 4Runner SR5

 2003
13'
22'

Acura MDX Touring

 2003
14'
24'

Nissan Murano SL

 2003
14'
25'

Lexus RX330

 2004
14'
28'

Toyota Sequoia Limited

 2002
14'
25'

Volvo XC90 T6

 2003
14'
25'

Infiniti FX35

 2003
15'
22'

BMW X3

 2004
15'
24'

Lexus GX470

 2004
15'
24'

Toyota Highlander

 2004
17'
20'

Nissan Pathfinder Armada LE

 2004
17'
24'

BMW X5 3.0i

 2003
18'
34'

Mitsubishi Endeavor XLS

 2004
18'
30'

Cadillac SRX V8

 2004
19'
27'

Dodge Durango Limited

 2004
19'
24'

Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT LT

 2003
19'
35'

Chrysler Pacifica

 2004
21'
39'

MINIVANS

Mazda MPV ES

 2003
12'
24'

Ford Freestar SEL

 2004
13'
16'

Dodge Grand Caravan EX

 2003
14'
23'

Toyota Sienna LE

 2004
15'
23'

Nissan Quest 3.5 SL

 2004
17'
28'

Honda Odyssey EX

 2003
17'
31'

Kia Sedona EX

 2003
18'
35'

FUEL-EFFICIENT CARS

Toyota Prius

 2004
7'
14'

Honda Civic Hybrid

 2003
12'
28'

FULL-SIZED PICKUPS

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

 2004
23'
37'

Nissan Titan SE

 2004
25'
42'

Dodge Ram 1500 SLT

 2004
26'
35'

Toyota Tundra SR5

 2004
29'
44'

Chevrolet Avalanche 1500

 2002
29'
51'

Ford F150 XLT

 2004
34'
45'

SPORTY CARS

Hyundai Tiburon GT

 2003
10'
23'

Nissan 350Z Touring

 2003
12'
20'

Subaru WRX STi

 2004
14'
21'

Mazda RX-8

 2003
14'
19'

Mitsubishi Lancer EVO

 2003
14'
31'

Chrysler Crossfire

 2004
18'
22'

ROADSTERS

Porsche Boxster 2.7

 2002
2'
20'
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