Is Drivers' Visibility Impaired ?
Page 48
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IT is with some alarm that I notice a certain develop' ment in the design of certain light commercial vehicles in this country.
For a considerable time, vehicle manufacturers have been apt to blame the operator for accidents resulting from various causes considcred to be under his control. Now, however, they are. in my view, putting into the hands of the user types of vehicle which do not add to safety on the road.
With the trend towards models having high bonnets, visibility from the driver's seat to the near side of the road is considerably reduced, so much so indeed that it has become almost impossible to see a child run from the kerb into the near side of the vehicle. Furthermore, the average driver seems to have great difficulty in manceuvring this type of vehicle in confined spaces.
Whilst there may be some good reason for making this change, it does appear to me to be a step in the wrong direction. Only a few days ago, the Government expressed their concern over the high accident rate, and here is an instance where it appears that something has been done which is not only unlikely to assist in reducing the rate but may increase the number of accidents.
Redhill, Surrey. SAFETY FIRST.