Defining the requirement for a direct vision standard for trucks using a DHM based blind spot analysis

The aim of the study was to understand the nature of blindspots in the vision of drivers of trucks caused by vehicle design variables such as cab design. The paper is the second of two submitted to ICED17. This paper focuses upon the results for the quantification of blindspots and the first paper presents the methodology (Marshall & Summerskill, 2017). In order to establish the cause and nature of blind spots 19 top selling trucks were scanned and imported into the SAMMIE DHM system. A CAD based vision projection technique allowed multiple mirror and window aperture projections to be created. By determining where simulated VRUs could be positioned without being visible in the direct vision of a driver, the vehicles were compared. By comparing the drivers eye height and the obscuration distance of VRUs a correlation was identified. By exploring the design features of outliers in this correlation, it was determined that direct vision blind spots are affected by various design variables. This led to the definition of a requirement for a direct vision standard for trucks, with a standard now being defined by the authors in a project funded by Transport for London.