Say yes to cheaper van, home and car insurance

A new report says 4x4 vehicles are dangerous and could be endangering the lives of children during the school run.

The vehicles are popular among many parents, particularly for taking their children to school, but a report by Autoglass says they are hazardous.

The reason is that the A-pillar, the column between the side window and the wind screen, on a 4x4 vehicle is so large that a huge blind spot is created.

Research shows that the A-pillar on some vehicles is large enough to completely obscure a group of children from the driver's view.

"Because of their size, 4x4 vehicles require thicker A-pillars than smaller vehicles in order to maintain their structural strength," said Nigel Doggett, managing director at Autoglass.

"This has had a detrimental effect on the driver's vision, with the creation of significant blind spots that pose a real threat to other road users."

Autoglass has signalled that it would like to see additional training given to new 4x4 drivers, in order to reduce accidents and car insurance claims.

"More than 12,000 4x4s were sold in July 2006 alone, and we would like to see specific guidance provided to new 4x4 drivers by the Driving Standards Agency," added Mr Doggett.

"Thousands of 4x4 drivers remain unaware of the dangers posed by the giant A-pillar blind spots their vehicles possess and they must adapt their driving habits to compensate for this."

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