Has anyone noticed the size of the A pillar in newer cars and trucks? I assume it is a safety thing but an entire car can hide behind one when at a crossroad. Not sure what is safer, an A pillar that is large enough to be safer in a crash or a smaller one to help avoid a crash. We have a 2013 Chevy truck at work and between the door and A pillar it is 6 inches wide from view of drivers seat. Our GMC Acadia is nearly as bad. Where I work has a place on private property that nobody stops at and has cross traffic. It has an unwritten rule as to who goes first if more than one is approaching at the same time. I almost got smoked by a semi truck with no trailer the other day. As I was approaching the corner I did not see anyone around and just kept going at around 30 MPH. Turned out the other driver would have hit me if he did not see what was going on and stopped. He was traveling at just the right speed as he was coming to the corner that he was in the blind spot the entire time I was traveling.

 

I agree. The pillars in my Kia Sorento and my wife's Kia Soul are pretty bad. They obstruct my view quite a bit.

 

i bet it has something to with side airbags

 

Ive had close calls too and even smacked a pedestrian with the driver mirror during a left turn once. Lucky I was going slow and the pedestrian wasn't hurt.

 

i have an 02 suburban and more then once i about drilled somebody that was behind that fat a pillar.look at cars these days it's "all" about safety.b pillars gettin bigger c pillars ,doors getting higher up with shorter windows and rear windows getin so high they need a rear view camera to back up.ya know if people would get their heads outa their a$$ and drive like the old days they wouldn't need all this crap

 

Complete vehicles can also be cleverly hidden behind the rear view mirror.

 

Now that you mentioned it, I can see what you're saying. My previous complaint among many, has been the rear view blind spots on some of these SUV's requiring cameras. Same deal, kinda touched on by Cherokee above.

I guess it supposed to make you feel better er..safer.

 

I had the same problem with my '07 Saturn Aura that I just got rid of. I don't know how many times that I missed a vehicle to my left because of the damn, thick, A pillar. I believe that these came about due to the need for increased rollover protection. It just created another risk for drivers.

 

Agreed, at the right distance and angle, vehicles can appear out of no where!

That's why 2 to 3 time looks both ways, has always been a practice for me.

I noticed that on my 2010 Malibu, 2014 9th gen Impala and the new truck is the same. Roll over protection and side curtains have lot to do with it. I seen a few weeks ago on CL, a salvage 16 Silverado with roof damage scuffs.Cab/ Roof line looked to be in correct form.

Pat

 

My 2008 F-150 has the same issue. I was making a left turn and almost turned into a sub compact car.
The crazy thing was, as I was slowing to make my turn, he was also slowing as he was came up to the intersection.
We were both slowing at an identical pace which kept him in my a-pillar blind spot the entire time.
Freaked me out pretty good.

 

Daily driver is an 09 Pontiac G8, with a bulky A-pillar.

My neighborhood has a sweeping left curve when I come home, the pillar totally blocks my view. I actually have to tilt my head to the left and look out the door window.

Us taller folks (I'm 6'6") with the seat back farther have it worse. Puts the pillar more in front of your view. If you lean forward, the pillar is more in your side view and not as obstructive.


I agree, and rollover protection.

 

I thought I was the only one who has had this type of close call. Glad to know it’s just not old age.

 

Yeah, they're big.

Things in them, as well as more steel for crash tests, include curtain side airbags, harnesses for your overhead electronics, and moonroof drain tubes.

 

I first noticed this on my 94 S10 Blazer years ago. Since then almost every car has this issue. Not as drastic in the 06' Silverado but the 11' Traverse has a horrible B post as well, when making tight left turns I had a few cars lost in that spot. Even worse on a truck with long mirrors. You have to constantly jockey in the seat to look around these obstructions.

 

It's a trade off. thicker pillars and less glass mean it is easier to build in passive safety features, that is protecting occupants in a collision, but reduced visibility means primary safety, that is avoiding a collision in the first place, is reduced.
Today's cars have better brakes, better handling and roadholding, and are easier to drive and more comfortable than cars of a few generations ago. All safety enhancing improvements, none of which a reduce other safety measures.

I dare say our descendants will look at old footage of us and say; "They drove themselves?!?!?, no wonder there were so many road deaths. Hey look, they filled their cars up with gasoline!. How crazy is that?!."

Roger.