Deadly Combination: Left Turns & Blind Zones

If you have ever started a left turn and suddenly realized someone in the crosswalk seemed to appear out of nowhere, you are not imagining things. New research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows that vehicle design plays a major role in whether drivers can see pedestrians while turning.

And those differences are not negligible. Indeed, vehicles with large driver-side blind zones are much more likely to strike pedestrians while turning left and for the following reasons:

A large blind zone increases the risk of a left-turn pedestrian crash by seventy percent.
Even a medium-size blind zone raises that risk by fifty-nine percent.

This is not about distracted driving or bad intentions. Notably, it is about what drivers physically cannot see, even when they are looking.

Driver-side Blind Zone Defined

A blind zone is the area around the vehicle that the driver cannot see due to design features such as:

Thick or sharply angled A-pillars (the roof supports beside the windshield).
Large side mirrors.
Tall or long hoods.
A narrow windshield viewing angle.

These elements can combine to block the view of someone walking through a crosswalk, especially during left turns.

Why left turns are especially risky

Left turns require drivers to scan multiple directions at once:

Oncoming traffic.
The turn path.
Pedestrians entering or already in the crosswalk.

If a pedestrian moves into a blind zone at the wrong moment, they can leave your range of view just as the vehicle begins to move.

As one IIHS researcher explained, “When a driver’s view is partially blocked, it’s easy for a person in the crosswalk to disappear from sight.”

How big are these blind zones, really?

On average, a typical driver-side blind zone blocks about one-quarter to one-third of the critical area in front and to the left of the driver. For shorter drivers, blind zones are usually larger, not smaller.

In many vehicles, the closest point on the ground a driver can see is:

About twenty-six feet ahead for an average-height driver.
Around thirty feet ahead for a shorter driver.

That means a pedestrian can be well into the crosswalk and still be invisible.

IIHS identified three vehicle design traits that matter most:

1) Large driver-side blind zones. If more than thirty percent of the driver’s left-front view is blocked, left-turn crash risk rises seventy percent.

2) Narrow windshield field of view. A viewing angle of eighty-five degrees or less increases left-turn pedestrian crash risk by fifty-one percent. Narrow views push A-pillars and mirrors directly into the driver’s line of sight.

3) Distant “nearest visible point.” If the nearest visible spot on the road is more than thirty feet away, crash risk rises thirty-seven percent. This puts more blind space directly in front of the vehicle

What about SUVs and pickups?

The study found no single vehicle type is automatically “safe” or “unsafe,” but trends matter:
SUVs and pickups often have taller front ends, narrower windshield viewing angles, and larger blind zones for shorter drivers.

These vehicles are also more likely to cause serious injury when a pedestrian is struck, making visibility even more important.

Why this is a growing problem

Pedestrian deaths in the United States have increased seventy-eight percent since their low point in 2009. Experts point out several reasons:

Faster traffic speeds.
Road designs that prioritize vehicles over people.
Larger vehicles with more obstructed views.

Vehicle visibility has simply not received the attention it deserves. Can this be fixed? Yes, but it requires balance.

Some features that block visibility also protect occupants in crashes. For example:

Thick A-pillars strengthen roofs.
Longer hoods allow for better crash energy absorption.

That means automakers must improve visibility without sacrificing occupant safety. Among the solutions that could help drivers and pedestrians are the following:

Vehicle-based improvements

Side-view cameras to compensate for unavoidable blind zones.
Better pedestrian automatic emergency braking that works during turns.
Hood airbags to reduce injury severity if a crash occurs.

Street and intersection design changes

Traffic lights that give pedestrians a head start before vehicles get a green.
Curb extensions that bring pedestrians into the driver’s line of sight and shorten crossings.

What drivers can take away today

Even in a modern vehicle with advanced safety tech:

Blind zones are real.
Left turns deserve extra caution.
Slowing down and double-checking before turning can save lives.

As IIHS President David Harkey put it, “The driver’s ability to see is a fundamental element of safety.” That is a reminder worth taking seriously—whether you are behind the wheel or stepping into a crosswalk.