Blind spots

[jess]

An Australian report released Wednesday rates Yaris in the lowest 20 percent of cars for visibility blind spots.

Whatcha think?

My side mirrors are angled to see what is in those blind spots caused by the rear pillars so I think it's a non-issue.

Much ado about nothing or death on four wheels?

Of course some drivers feel looking at what's behind you is a waste of time while others are only looking in the rear view mirrors for light bars or black and white paint jobs.

[supmet]

People keep saying this, but I can't for the life of me figure it out. I don't have trouble seeing anywhere.

I drove my step-mom's sienna and that was terrible. I couldn't see anything..

[tomato]

The rear pillars make it difficult to see when you parallel park on the right side of the street (side mirror isn't enough) and there are other blind spots but I think I've developped ways to compensate by now, relying on the side mirrors much more and estimating distances instead of seeing them while parking.

[Ed_]

Not a problem. I back into a two car garage that has 3 cars in it and it works fine. That's why they put mirrors on cars.

[whoguy]

I must say that the Thick A Pillars do block visibility. I've had close calls where I didn't see a car at a T junction because his trajectory and speed kept him behind the A pillar as I approached the intersection.

The rear visibility is poor for the sedan as the boot is high ( pretty much the norm on all cars now).... Rear parking sensors really help and to me is a must have.

Side rear visibility is pretty much on par with any other car. There is always a blind spot if a car is next to you just behind the passenger door. Mirror adjustment helps, but depends on what you're use to.

[dybbuk]

Really? Good god, when I first got this car I thought I was driving a convertible. My old 02 Grand Am had serious blind spot issues if you wanna talk about a thick A pillar. I used to have close calls pretty much everytime I was in a parking lot, haven't had one since I've got the Yaris(over a year now). My only gripe is the mirrors are a bit too small for me(I drive an E250 at work with the double mirror regular/convex setup), but, that goes for pretty much every car.

[ddongbap]

I almost hit a ped, cause the passenger A-Pillar decided to take up the size of her body.

[Yaris Hilton]

All cars have "blind spots." The Yaris is better than some, worse than others. Pay attention to what's around you.

[wiirenet]

I feel like I have a lot of blind spots... I'm weird and feel like mirrors aren't enough and I don't trust them, I always have the need to turn around and head check, and always find my vision partly blocked when I do that.

Its not horrible, I don't regret the car, but I'm still not used to it after 3 weeks.

[33OH]

All cars have "blind spots." The Yaris is better than some, worse than others. Pay attention to what's around you.

:thumbsup:

[tomato]

I feel like I have a lot of blind spots... I'm weird and feel like mirrors aren't enough and I don't trust them, I always have the need to turn around and head check, and always find my vision partly blocked when I do that.

Its not horrible, I don't regret the car, but I'm still not used to it after 3 weeks.

I think it takes longer than 3 weeks to fully get used to it. You come from driving an old car with better visibility (me too), so for us it's not intuitive, we have to adapt. The poster who said "some cars are worse" is right! Coupes come to mind.

:burnrubber:

[MadMax]

Hell, I jump from an open Jeep into the Yaris and don't think there are any more blind spots; so I gotta also agree with Yaris Hilton's comments that it is "better than some, worse than others" and that you need to "pay attention to what's around you."

Sound advice indeed!

Cheers! M2

[Rain]

I find that I have less blind spots when I have a wider rear view mirror on...

[Ferret_san]

Is this the article you are referring to ?
http://www.countrycars.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleId=62121


Seems they specifically mention the sedan.

Other one-star performers include the Toyota Yaris sedan, Audi Q7 soft-roader and BMW 1 Series.

The hatch while only scoring 2 out of 5 stars , is still in the same weighting as
Citroen C3 Pluriel (2 Door Convertible)
Holden Barina (3 Door Hatch)
Honda Jazz (5 Door Hatch)
Hyundai Accent (3 Door Hatch)
Hyundai Getz (3 Door Hatch)
Kia Rio (5 Door Hatch)
Mazda Mazda2 - (5 Door Hatch)
Nissan Micra (5 Door Hatch)
Peugeot 207 (5 Door Hatch)
Suzuki Swift (5 Door Hatch)
Toyota Yaris (5 Door Hatch)
Volkswagen Polo (3 Door Hatch)
Volkswagen Polo Gti (3 Door Hatch)



Here's a table with the results:
http://www.sgio.com.au/keeping-safe-secure/car-safety/driver-visibility/driver-vision-tables.shtml

[Dave]

Speaking of blind spots and mirrors, does anyone else think that things appear closer than they actually are in the rear view mirror?

Maybe the Yaris is a magnet for tailgaters but it always feels like vehicles follow very closely, particularly at night when the headlights seem blinding. I mention the rear view mirror specifically because the side view mirrors seem to better reflect (pun! ha!) where objects actually are.

[yaris-me]

I can see what they're talking about. The B and C pillars are thick, but I think they offer more rigidity and safety. I've never had any problem with visibility, because I drive forward and not sideways.:laugh:

[Yaris Hilton]

They also contain air bags now. Can't have all that and skinny pillars, too.

[wiirenet]

This prob sounds dumb, but the head rests bothers me a lot too. I don't know if its just taller or wider than my old car, but I feel like that is my biggest vision issue, not the pillar area in the back between windows. I can't crank my head around it I guess, I don't know.

[IllusionX]

I don't have problems with the rear head rests in my sedan. they can slide all the way down pretty well.

I find the rear view mirror hiding cars on my right when crossing + intersections.

I also find the driver side's A pillar hiding my lines when turning left.

[LtNoogie]

This prob sounds dumb, but the head rests bothers me a lot too. I don't know if its just taller or wider than my old car, but I feel like that is my biggest vision issue, not the pillar area in the back between windows. I can't crank my head around it I guess, I don't know.

The driver's headrest gets in your way or the passenger's headrest?

[wiirenet]

The driver's head rest. Its all the way down, but when I do a head check behind me I really need to crane my neck to see behind it. I know I should just use my mirrors for this, but I've just gotten used to double checking everything by turning my head.

[Dariuus]

My rear view mirror creates a blind spot to the front right. This week it caught up with me. I did not see a vehicle at a 4 way stop. I ended up running into it and totaling my Yaris. Personally I am done with Toyota. All it would have taken is a joint to raise the mirror so tall people could see without interference.

[yougojay]

My rear view mirror creates a blind spot to the front right. This week it caught up with me. I did not see a vehicle at a 4 way stop. I ended up running into it and totaling my Yaris. Personally I am done with Toyota. All it would have taken is a joint to raise the mirror so tall people could see without interference.

Is this the only issue you've had in the 5 years & 10 months since your first post?

[edmscan]

My rear view mirror creates a blind spot to the front right. This week it caught up with me. I did not see a vehicle at a 4 way stop. I ended up running into it and totaling my Yaris. Personally I am done with Toyota. All it would have taken is a joint to raise the mirror so tall people could see without interference.

There is something called a "shoulder check" ... along with Daytime Running Lights, they work well to prevent collisions.

[gollygirl1]

The driver's head rest. Its all the way down, but when I do a head check behind me I really need to crane my neck to see behind it. I know I should just use my mirrors for this, but I've just gotten used to double checking everything by turning my head.

Well this is something my driving instructor taught me to do anyway, check mirrors and then a quick check over your shoulder in the blind spot - makes good driving practice :smile:

I was watching a video on You Tube though the week that shows how you should set up your side mirrors - in the old days you set the side mirrors up so you could see along the side of your car as well, but now things have changed - it was interesting and I learnt a lot (good old You Tube).

Also how the old placement of your hands at the 10 and 2 position (as in the face clock) is now "old news" - the 9 to 3 position seems to be considered best - why? Because if an air bag goes off your hands will hit your face at the 10 & 2 position, but if you have them at the 9 & 3 position they hit the sides and deflect away from the face.

So things change a bit as technology improves.

I do admit the headrest takes some getting used too, in the first three weeks I have had my seat up and down, back and forward etc - and finally have a comfortable position. I found also the brake higher than my old car and more sudden too, so it just takes time to get used to all these things. I think a month and you are finally all relaxed.
:clap:

[gollygirl1]

My rear view mirror creates a blind spot to the front right. This week it caught up with me. I did not see a vehicle at a 4 way stop. I ended up running into it and totaling my Yaris. Personally I am done with Toyota. All it would have taken is a joint to raise the mirror so tall people could see without interference.


Actually, I have a slight issue with the mirror too - lucky for me I am short so it is not a vision out the windscreen issue - but in the mornings when driving to work - sometimes the sun shines between that gap between the top of the windscreen and the mirror - I do wish it was just a little bit higher - but then I guess I might not be able to see out the back window - which would defeat the purpose - but compared to my old car, the mirror does seem a couple of cms lower I think? But I just duck a little bit to compensate.

[matti]

I'm a bit tall (6'4") and I have a solid blind spot to my front right as well. I know it's there, however, so I'm extra vigilant when looking that way.

[nookandcrannycar]

I'm a bit tall (6'4") and I have a solid blind spot to my front right as well. I know it's there, however, so I'm extra vigilant when looking that way.

^^^^^ This. I'm a fraction of an inch shorter than you, but I 'sit tall' (longer torso) than most people my height. I also took all of the head rests out of my Yaris when it was new. I always put one back in (at her mom's request :smile:) when I drive my little cousin somewhere.

[cparker]

Yes, the outside rear view mirrors are small and triangular, probably for aerodynamics . I would like to see bigger square mirrors, and I wonder if there are any other Toyota mirrors that would fit. I stuck on some small round convex mirrors to increase visibility. I also stuck a wide angle plastic lens on my rear window. See the backup camera thread.

[bairjo]

It's true, the Yaris does have a lot of blind spots...

57048

[tmontague]

Set your mirrors up properly an you'll reduce them by about 90%.

Set you drivers side mirror up so you can just see your rear door handle with your head touching the drivers window.

Set your passenger side mirror up so that you can barely see the rear door handle when your head is moved the the middle of the car (over the console)

It feels weird at first but it has saved my ass countless times when making a lane change. I found this tip in a men's health magazine years ago. I will never go back to my old way.

[CoryM]

Except for the A-pillars, the Yaris seems good to me. The mirrors are good and there is no reason to have rear blindspots. It did take a while to get used to the A-pillars as they can hide pedestrians at opposite corner of the intersection. Now I lean forward a little to make sure it's clear. Only other surprise was the mirrors do not show 2lanes over as well as you would expect (think merging onto freeway and looking at fast lane). Every car has more or less visibility in certain areas, and it's just getting used to it to make sure you see what you need to.

[kevinj93]

I find many other drivers have a "Blind Spot" that specifically prevents them seeing an approaching Yaris when they want to pull out from the kerb. This blind spot occurs even if I have the headlights on in the Yaris.

The people with this blind spot also seem to be incapable of driving at any speed more that half the posted speed limit.

[Deathegg]

I must say, that I do think my 3-door hatch is very hard to see out of, especially in the rear quarter area because of the thick 'c' pillars. Coming from a Festiva with those impossibly thin pillars and low belt line to the Yaris was a challenge at first. Unfortunately thin pillars are probably never coming back.

[BLKHILLSGUY]

I must say, that I do think my 3-door hatch is very hard to see out of, especially in the rear quarter area because of the thick 'c' pillars. Coming from a Festiva with those impossibly thin pillars and low belt line to the Yaris was a challenge at first. Unfortunately thin pillars are probably never coming back.

I had a 91 Festiva L that I bought used in 92 for $4500 from an Air Force guy that was being moved overseas. I miss that car terribly. I should have never sold it but I was young and dumb around the age of 24. I was given a Maxima and didn't have room for 2 cars in DC. Those cars were indestructible. Still see them on the roads today. Mazda engineering and put together in S Korea by a little known company at the time-Kia. Kia even sold the Festiva badged as a Kia. I believe it was a 121 that Mazda had sold in Japan. The heat wasn't that great in our extremely frigid winters, and it didn't have air conditioning, but I wasn't going to pay $10k for a new Tercel that my dad was pushing on me. He was good enough to cosign, but I paid the car off in full, my own insurance, gas, clothes, and even food. My dad was a tough rancher who believed in his kids succeeding on their own. I worked so much in high school that I had no free time or even time to attend the prom. Oh well. He was right. If I had kids I wouldn't be nearly as tough, but they would earn their keep like I did. The Festiva was a car me and my dad bonded over. It was a manual. He taught me to drive a manual and actually drive in his 1980 Bronco. Good memories. What made you decide to let go of the Festiva?

[Deathegg]

What made you decide to let go of the Festiva?

Rust and high cost of some repairs. Bought it NEW in '88. When I finally sold it, it had 235k and was 23 years old. Spent most of it's life in Pittsburgh, so the salt on the roads got to it. Bad frame rails, engine mounts, brake lines, gas tank leaks, etc, etc. Sold it because it needed an alternator, and I didn't want to spend $200 fixing this $300 car anymore.

But yes, the Festy's are greatly unappreciated, and tough as nails. Engine was never apart, and had the original clutch when I sold it. Here in SoCal I've seen them around with no rust; love to get my hands on another one. (Actually, my name here on YW was the name of my Festy, DeathEgg).