[jcp123]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

I almost never use the backup cameras on the cars I drive that happen to have them. But it's a nice feature for newer drivers and those who aren't as confident backing up. Backup cameras are great for hooking up trailers and backing up with trailers, but they should never replace lookout out the window and seeing what is actually out there. The same goes with rearview camera "mirrors". My minimized side mirror setup poses no safety risks because I actively check over my shoulder before changing lanes. Mirrors and cameras don't increase safety if a vehicle operator relies solely on them and not on common sense.

With that being said, rearview cameras would be nice for multiple reasons, mainly because cameras have the potential to allow for a greater field of vision than that provided by a mirror. Images could be rendered for more realistic display, eliminating the need for "objects in mirror are closer than they appear."

Honda's Lane Watch system honestly could replace side mirrors. It's probably one of the best systems out there. The car length markers on the display give a very concrete image of where objects are that a mirror doesn't provide. A "legal" implementation of this as a side mirror replacement could be screens in the doors, such as the ones shown in one of the pictures in the linked article, displaying the same rearward view to the driver.

Side mirrors existed for a time when computers and cameras did not exist. Now that we have this technology, it's time to move on. Heck, a system could be designed to allow the user to even zoom in/out on their side cameras! Find me a mirror that can do that.

Aren’t the “objects may be closer...” mirrors an analog version of changing the field of view?

I just have tech issues. Digital things let me down far too often for me to have any sufficient degree of trust in them. A lot of that comes from growing up in Silicon Valley and seeing the rush to get the competitive edge at the expense of...actually making things work.

I haven’t driven anything with driver “assist” features except for my big rig, but if others are like those systems, no freaking thank you. They create hazards I have a hard time predicting.

Still, should automakers be allowed to do this? My principles still say yeah, I don’t want it required to be in or out of my life. People will probably love it the way they love all that infotainment stuff.