Cars for Stars News

At present it is impossible to see all hazards from your car windows, with blind spots and pillars getting in the way. Being the catalyst of many accidents here in the UK it seems that we may be in for a change.

The Jaguar Land Rover partnership is said to be introducing technology that abolishes this irritation, creating what they have called a ‘360 Urban Windscreen’.

This will help drivers navigate and reduce accident statistics.

Their concept vehicles sport transparent pillars with embedded screens. With cameras manning the traditional blind spot drivers will be offered a live video of what surrounds their vehicle, putting other road users in a safer position.

Research and Technology

Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology, Jaguar Land Rover, is developing the technology to improve visibility and give the driver the right information at the right time.

“If we can keep the driver’s eyes on the road ahead and present information in a non-distracting way, we can help drivers make better decisions in the most demanding and congested driving environments,” he said.

“Imagine being able to drive across town without having to look at road signs, or be distracted trying to locate a parking space as you drive by.

“We want to present all of this information on a Heads-Up Display in the driver’s eye-line, so the driver doesn’t have to seek it out for themselves and take their eyes off the road ahead” said Dr Epple.

We spoke with High Gear Insurance, the UK’s largest taxi insurance brokerage. They believe that this would benefit taxi drivers twofold, helping them achieve cheaper premiums as well as a safer profession.

‘It is these issues of vehicles being hit as a result of them being in a blind spot that puts drivers in a bad position. If this technology really is a great as the carmakers suggest then this could have an amazing effect on the insurance industry as a whole’ claimed the company.

What do you think? Do blind spots need to be a thing of the past?