NHTSA Complaint #10555863 — 2008 BUICK LUCERNE

SOMETIME BETWEEN 1998 AND 2008 THE BUICK LINE, AND ALMOST ALL OTHER LINES, ENLARGED THE SIZE OF THE COLUMNS SUPPORTING THE ROOF, MODIFIED THE FRONT SIDE WINDOWS TO ADD A SMALL TRIANGLE OF MATERIAL AT THE FRONT OF THE WINDOWS, AND RAISED THE HEIGHT OF THE SIDE MIRRORS AND RAISED THE HEIGHT OF THE "DASH" ABOVE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I AM IN EXCESS OF 6 FT TALL AND THIS HAD LITTLE IMPACT ON MY FIELD OF VISION. MY WIFE IS LESS THAN 5 FT AND AGE IS TAKING A TOLL ON BOTH OF US AND THIS HAS A SEVERE IMPACT ON HER FIELD OF VISION, EVEN WITH THE USE OF BOOSTER PILLOWS. THE CURRENT MODELS HAVE THE SAME DESIGN FLAW, EXCEPT FOR THE HONDA CIVIC AND THE FORD FUSION. I HAVE PERSONALLY "TESTED" THIS CONDITION BY LOCATING MYSELF AT AN INTERSECTION WHERE SEVERAL CRASHES, SOME FATAL, AND "SCROOCHING" DOWN AS BEST I COULD TO SIMULATE A 5 FT PERSON WITH THE SEAT AT ITS MAX HEIGHT, AND THERE IS A CRITICAL LOSS OF VISIBILITY, PARTICULARLY TO THE RIGHT. THERE WERE THREE CRASHES, ALL INVOLVED SENIORS, THAT WERE IN A COLLISION BECAUSE THEY PROCEEDING, AFTER STOPPING, TO CROSS THE INTERSECTION IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HEARTILY SUPPORT YOUR PROPOSAL TO DEVELOP SOME TYPE OF RECOMMENDATIONS, OR "RATING", FOR VEHICLES THAT ARE THE MOST APPROPRIATE FOR SENIORS. THANK YOU. *TR