"Slenderize" the front roof pillars

[V7i7c]

The front roof pillars are way too large and result in blocking too large an area of the drivers vision. This should be an easy modification.

I apologize if this subject has already been put on the list of suggestions- I couldn't find it.

[EVDRIVER]

The front roof pillars are way too large and result in blocking too large an area of the drivers vision. This should be an easy modification.

I apologize if this subject has already been put on the list of suggestions- I couldn't find it.

If it were easy they would have done it, this is a function of more aerodynamic cars and the windshield angles.

[TomT]

And modern roll-over and roof crush protection standards...

If it were easy they would have done it, this is a function of more aerodynamic cars and the windshield angles.

[garsh]

And modern roll-over and roof crush protection standards...

Exactly. All modern cars have this problem.

[RonDawg]

And modern roll-over and roof crush protection standards...

Exactly. All modern cars have this problem.

And with the new "Small Overlap Frontal" crash test recently introduced by the IIHS, I suspect this problem will get worse before it gets better. Several new-for-2013 models have already failed this test miserably.

While not required by NHTSA, car manufacturers want to be able to claim their cars are safe, which is hard to do when there's video of your latest product crumpling in on itself like an empty cardboard box.

[Drivesolo]

The A-pillars in Nissans were redesigned to be particularly thicker than most cars sometime around 2000. From my understanding Nissan's have very good roll over protection. I personally know 2 incidents where the A-pillar showed its strength; a multiple rollover and a 'crush' scenario between 2 vehicles. I'm willing to bet that they are essentially hollow and attribute all their strength to the sheet metal that makes up its girth. By comparison; BMW uses 2 layers of folded sheet metal w/ in their A-pillars to give them greater strength w/o having to make them so wide.

[JimSouCal]

There is a certain rate of turn coupled with a certain walking speed angle of a pedestrian that pretty much completely obscures the view....

Unbeknownst to a walker, I had a near miss on a pedestrian crossing that I almost did not see due to the pillar... Left me a bit rattled. Slow speeds would have probably not meant death but I take extra care now...

And as of late, pedestrians seem to be engrossed in texting and looking at screens, not something I do when in the potential of harms way....

[Nubo]

I figured it was to accommodate airbags.

[rslatkin]

I've gotten used to doing a head bobbing motion as I look to my left to make sure nothing is hiding behind that A pillar. It's big enough to hide entire cars at stop signs, not to mention pedestrians, bicycles, dogs, etc.

[Boomer23]

I've gotten used to doing a head bobbing motion as I look to my left to make sure nothing is hiding behind that A pillar. It's big enough to hide entire cars at stop signs, not to mention pedestrians, bicycles, dogs, etc.

+1

After being "reminded" in no uncertain terms on at least two separate occasions by my mate that there was a pedestrian about to enter the crosswalk that I was aiming to turn left across, I now routinely move my head and shoulders right and left several times in such situations so that I am sure I can check out the entire blind spot area.

Since this bobbing motion closely resembles the male courting behavior of several bird species, I now have the problem of having to repel the affections of female egrets and Canada geese in certain seasons.

Seriously, though, this is a major safety awareness issue and it should be covered in Nissan's customer introductions to the cars. In fact, we might want to mention it in the Wiki.