The Transport Technology and Standards (TTS) Division of the Department for Transport has a responsibility for providing technical support to policy formulation and development. This is achieved through a broad research programme pertaining to vehicle-related safety issues to support the development of vehicle standards and regulations and the enforcement of standards. Within this remit, TTS wished to investigate the issues and implications for extending regulations relating to drivers? field of view requirements. Currently all M and N vehicles have to comply with European legislation with respect to indirect vision (vision through mirrors and cameras); however when direct vision (through the windscreen and side windows) is considered this is only mandated for M1 vehicles. If the legislation is to be extended then the Department needs to be able to take an informed stance on any proposals to it. To facilitate this, it therefore wishes to understand: * What the direct field of vision requirements for M2, M3 and all N category vehicles are, since it cannot be assumed that the requirements for M1 can be directly transferred. * The implications for RH drive and LH drive vehicles being used in LH drive and RH drive environments respectively. * The effect of vehicle size. * The relationship between direct and indirect field of view requirements in order to support as close as possible a 360° visual field requirement. The over-arching aim of the project is to investigate the drivers? direct forward field of view and indirect field of view requirements for all 'M' and 'N' category vehicles with the intention to identify solutions to achieve, as far as is practicable, a 360° field of vision in which other road users can be easily seen. (Author/publisher)
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