Does the split window make cars look closer?

:car:i think any hatchback makes them look closer than a car with a trunk, but they are still way too close.

 

I agree with this. We humans judge distance partially by perspective. Part of this perspective is the relative size of the trailing vehicle in your rear window. A nearer window makes the trailing vehicle look smaller. A more distant window, such as with a Prius, makes the trailing vehicle fill more of the window, so it looks closer.

Tom

 

One of my favourite features of the split window (at night) is that tailgater's blinding headlights are blocked by the split.

-Iain

 

Yes, it does. Just something you get used to.

 

That is rather nice... unless the guy behind you is driving one of those jacked-up pickup trucks.

BTW, I noticed early on that we actually have a bit of curvature in the glass that extends horizontally the full width of the rear window. This causes a slight amount of optical distortion up to near the level of the lowest defroster element trace. I wonder if all Gen III Prii rear window glass exhibits this trait?

 

Another factor may be that we tend to judge distance of the car behind by distance from the rear window which we can see clearly rather than the back of our car which we cannot.

The rear window of a hatchback is noticeably closer to the car behind than the rear window of a sedan. This is particularly true of a hatchback with a Kamm back and a 2 part rear window like the Prius.

 

I have noticed it in mine but the distortion seems to be as it gets closer to the bottom.

 

I think it just appears that way because hatchbacks have an abrupt "cut off" by design.

 

+1

 

It seems to, though it may be more a feature of the glass than the split. I notice it most when parking - the car I thought I was going to back into is always a safe distance when I get out to look.

 

If you want to see that drivers simply drive too close, just do a brief count when as you pass a marker.

Many drivers drive too close to each other. It's dangerous, the cause of a large number of accidents, including fatal ones, and it wastes gasoline too.

 

Think I have more trouble judging the distance in the front than from the rear. I pull into a spot only to find that I had a good couple of feet to spare? This vehicle is hard to judge the front because you can't see anything beyond the windshield...