An experiment conducted by the traffic police department of Laixi Public Security Bureau in Shandong province clearly demonstrated the extent of a large SUV's blind spots.

During the experiment, police had a teacher sit in the driver's seat of a police SUV and instructed 93 children to position themselves in the vehicle's blind spots. When looking around the vehicle and checking the rearview mirrors, the teacher saw no children.

A vehicle's blind spot is an area that a driver cannot see directly from their normal driving position due to obstructions from the vehicle's body. When in a blind spot, pedestrians and other objects can easily be "swallowed up" as the vehicle moves or turns.

Different vehicle models have varying blind spots. For example, in a typical family sedan, the area directly in front of the hood is a driver's blind spot. This blind spot changes based on the driver's height, seat height, and hood length.

Every vehicle model has pillars that create blind spots. The a-pillar blind spot is particularly significant: whenever a vehicle turns or enters a curve, the a-pillar partially obscures the driver's vision. The larger the vehicle, the larger the blind spot.

Since rearview mirrors only show the sides of the vehicle and not the rear, the rear blind spot is also significant. Moreover, blind spots are larger when the vehicle is moving compared to when it is stationary.

SUV blind spot areas. *Photo: Laixi Police Station*

Traffic police emphasize that drivers must develop a habit of walking around their vehicle to check its condition before getting in. This helps effectively identify obstacles in blind spots and allows for assessing the vehicle's status, such as whether a tire is flat. Additionally, when turning, drivers should lean forward and backward to get a clearer view of the a-pillar blind spot.

SUVs are taller than sedans, resulting in larger blind spots. Children entering these blind spots or playing near vehicles can easily cause accidents. Larger trucks inherently have even bigger blind spots.

Adults also need to remind children not to play near vehicles and to always keep an eye on them when outdoors. When encountering large trucks, both adults and children should stand as far away as possible.

My Anh (according to China Youth Daily)