19 Apr 07
Of course I was being sarky about 'recklessly' spending too much time looking at the road, but improving my observational skills is a current hobby-horse. I've just read Roadcraft: The Police Driver's Handbook - which I would recommend to anyone who ever gets behind a steering wheel - and it has some very useful tips for improving your observation skills. But they also lead to me discover a chink in the S-Max's armour.
The S-Max, in common with many new cars these days, has A-pillars that can hamper visibility. A-pillars - the metal bits that frame the windscreen and connect the roof to the body at the front of the car - have got thicker over recent years to improve safety. The intention is to ensure that the cabin remains intact, by building a 'cage' around the occupants that will remain intact in a crash. Thicker A-pillars do the job, but there's the unwelcome side-effect of poorer visibility.
Ford have been very clever is attempting to reduce the effect of thicker A-pillars in the S-Max by splitting the metal and creating a glass area between the two struts. Unfortunately, this isn't always enough at junctions and tight right-hand bends. In order to make sure I see everything, I've found myself bobbing and weaving about like Amir Khan.
The only solution seems to be the one Volvo is taking with some of its concepts - making completely transparent A-pillars. But until every car manufacturer does this - which is probably a decade or so away, at least - we all need to be aware of the limits to visibility in our cars. And start ducking and diving to compensate.
