When it comes to the A, B, and C pillars of a car, many novice drivers do not know what they are, but they often hear these words, especially the A-pillar, which is too thick to block the line of sight, the blind spot of the A-pillar is too large, and the A-pillar trim panel is removed. Today, let's talk about where these pillars are and their functions, so that everyone can have a better understanding of the basics of automobiles.

   Simply put, the components that support the roof are called pillars, named A-pillar, B-pillar, and C-pillar from front to back. The pillars in our impression are all vertical, and these pillars on the car are not vertical, some are inclined, as shown in the following picture. The left and right sides of the front windshield are the A-pillars, which are slanted upwards. The left and right sides of the glass are fixed to the left and right A-pillars. The part between the front and rear doors is the B-pillar, and the part on both sides of the rear windshield is the C-pillar. The main function of these pillars is to support the roof. The A-pillars and B-pillars are made of the highest strength steel of the vehicle body. In the event of a rollover accident, they can maintain the driver's cabin from deforming and protect passenger safety. In the event of a major frontal collision, the A-pillar is also an important component to ensure that the cab does not deform. Therefore, the strength of the A-pillar must be sufficiently large. In addition to the hardness of the steel, it cannot be made too thin. If it is too thin, the overall strength cannot be achieved, and the cab is prone to deformation, which will reduce the safety of the vehicle.

If the A-pillar is made too large, it will affect the driver's vision in the front left and right, commonly known as the blind spot of the A-pillar. That is to say, when looking outside towards the A-pillar, it cannot be seen because the A-pillar is opaque, blocking the line of sight. In addition, the edge of the car door blocks the line of sight, making the blind spot on the A-pillar particularly large. Many cars, in order to reduce blind spots on the A-pillar, have added a triangular window at the A-pillar, through which you can see the outside, which is helpful in reducing blind spots. Many cars no longer place the rearview mirror in the A-pillar position, but instead move it to the door, further reducing the obstruction of the rearview mirror to the front line of sight. By dispersing several components that block the line of sight, the blind spot will be much smaller. If stacked together, it will form a large blind spot.

    Many traffic accidents are caused by this blind spot, especially when crossing intersections and turning, it is necessary to check whether there are pedestrians crossing the road on both sides. If a pedestrian happens to enter the blind spot of the A-pillar, the driver cannot see it and continues to drive, an accident will occur. The pedestrian thinks that the car will let him go and just walks forward, but the driver does not see the pedestrian. So we should try our best to avoid the harm caused by blind spots on the A-pillar when driving. We cannot change the structure of a car, but the driver's position can be changed while driving. When crossing intersections or turning, as well as driving in areas with a lot of pedestrians, the driver should shake their head more left and right, and turn their head more in areas that are not visible, which can greatly reduce blind spots. Especially when turning right, the line of sight on the right side is often not very good. You should slow down the speed, turn your head more to observe, and also pay attention to whether there are pedestrians or vehicles in front of you on the left. A right turn may seem simple, but the blind spot is quite large and requires careful observation. There is no better way besides the driver shaking left and right to reduce blind spots.

From: WONDEE Autoparts

2024-2-18