The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it will trial side view mirrors that replace traditional side view cameras, examining how they may operate in real-world driving scenarios.
The government safety agency sent a notice out this week advising the public that it planned to test the mirrorless, camera-based system and study “driving behavior and lane change maneuver execution” with the technology.
As Reuters notes, this move comes long after the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a group that lobbies in the US on behalf of major automakers, sent a petition to NHTSA in 2014 to allow them to use such systems on their vehicles. Daimler filed a similar, solo petition in 2015 as well, though NHTSA has not yet responded to either of them.
Side view cameras are already approved for use in Europe and Japan. Last year, Lexus became the first automaker to use them on a production vehicle, including them as optional equipment on the new Lexus ES mid-size luxury sedan. The Audi E-Tron electric SUV went on sale in Europe in December of last year with optional digital side view cameras, as well.
When Lexus debuted its mirrorless system for the ES, it said the slim dimensions of the camera stalks reduce the blind spot created by traditional mirrors. They also improve fuel economy thanks to the smaller aerodynamic profile and reduce wind noise.
Lexus’ digital mirrors also identify vehicles that are approaching and alert the driver when are in their blind spot or alongside them. Honda’s side view camera system works in a similar fashion, using a camera mounted on the side of the vehicle to give drivers a view of their blindspot on the digital display inside the car. The Honda system also switches on automatically, only giving the driver the side view when a car is approaching in its blind spot.
Furthermore, the Honda e electric hatchback will launch in Europe with digital side view cameras in place of mirrors next year.
NHTSA said its study will initially focus on smaller passenger cars with side view cameras before turning its attention to larger vehicles at a later date.
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Source: Reuters
Comments
Mirrors have to account for at least 5% increase in coefficient of drag. Getting rid of them is going to be important; especially as BEVs take over.
NHTSA is embarrassingly slow when it comes to modernizing regulations like this. Reading comments here, We the People want laser headlights with that matrix technology too. Those are a safety benefit.
I am all for cameras but for God’s sake I hope they will look better than what is shown here.
One word of warning if you have not drive with cameras.
They are not a reflection and you have to learn to focus your eyes differently. It is not something you can’t do but it is something that takes some adjustment.
It was reported years ago, that mirrors can account to as much as 25% of a vehicles drag rating! They are a huge obstacle in total efficiency. This was a number touted pre-bankruptcy when GM was shaving antennas and fuel door finger bulges to save .01 mpg on the vehicles.
Well it depends on the mirror.
My truck mirrors eat a lot of wind.
My fathers old Lesabre were small and round so they were affected less by wind.
Tires are the killer the wider the worse the drag. Anyone remember the Tyrell six wheel F1 car. The idea was 4 small tires behind the front wing to cut drag. This is why we have deflectors on the truck tires.
The”mirror” pictured is just as wind resistant as what is available today. If this is the new mirror of the future, just a more expensive wind drag.
all sounds good but what about dirt on cameras or driving in snowy weather
Since cameras are electrical powered, a small amount of heat can be applied to the lens to keep it dry. No big issue here. And wiping a camera lens before driving is easy to do, too.Many drivers do it on their backup cameras (I do). It is much easier and simpler than wiping an external mirror.
I suggest doing some new engineering to integrate the rear view cameras to the body better that on an external stalk and reduce all drag. And integrate the displays better for the driver into the doors or dashboard corners. That Lexus placement is horrible! I would hang that designer if he were my employee!
In the future we may have holographic projections of the side mirror view inside and eliminate the displays.
There worrying about wind drag differences on camera mirrors vs regular mirrors yet here we are with massive over sized huge wide tires that knock down MPG and raise up road resistance considerably. All this is going to do is add to complexity and costs with little gain. A properly designed and shaped mirror can be made with lower wind resistance. And that picture above looks like crap and I would not want my car looking like that.
I’ve been pleased with my car’s rear-view camera mirror, so I understand and applaud the utility and value of well-designed side-view cameras as well.
However, there no longer is any reason for a rear-view camera display to be in the top center of the windshield — which location exists because of the properties and line-of-sight requirements of a traditional glass mirror.
The rear-view camera display should be directly in front of the driver, either at the top of the windshield or at the top of the dashboard, so the driver isn’t required to avert his eyes (and head?) in order to glance at the rear-view mirror while driving.
NHTSA slowness is costing huge fuel waste. Are they taking bribes from Exxon… The fuel savings exceed the Russian banned oil.