Should Cameras Be Allowed to Replace Mirrors? - Gov't Wants Your Feedback

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by jcp123

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

I wouldn't know. At different times I am confused as to which objects are closer and which are further away:

Is it
"Objects [that you see in your mirror] are closer than they appear [behind you]"
or is it
"Objects [behind you] are closer than they appear [in your mirror]"

Are they talking about the actual objects, or the reflection of the objects in the mirror?

Originally Posted by jcp123

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.

Weird thing though, I love the idea of designing and implementing all sorts of weird electrical gadgets in cars, so this thing would be perfect for me. Yet I hate owning/driving a car with all those gadgets. Bare bones and manual transmission for me. I like being directly connected to the driving experience without gadgets in my way.

But for the average person these gadgets do help people drive safer. Except for the fact that for some reason people think additional safety features means they can pay less attention to driving, which cancels out any benefit of the safety features, then they add more safety features and the cycle continues.

[redpoint5]

I find the blind-spot monitoring in the CX-5 to be flawlessly accurate at identifying true-positives (actual car in the blind-spot when I flick the turn signal on). It often chirps when making a turn when multiple lanes are required to turn, which is a false positive, but hardly annoying, and I immediately know why it's chirping.

Same with cross traffic alert when backing out of a parking spot. Very handy.

That combined with cameras would have to be a superior solution.

[MeteorGray]

My only problem with all the gadgets that the engineers can dream up is the COST, both at the original purchase and when repairing/replacing them.

Example: adding rear-view mirrors on a car might cost $10 at the factory, and they last the life of the car. What about the cameras and their screens?

Heck, I still lament the fact that I cannot buy wind-up windows anymore, especially when one or more of the powered ones fail to work. And are they really better except for the minor inconvenience of not having to use a muscle or two to wind up manual windows? What happens if/when you roll the car into a lake with all the windows up and the electric system shorted out and you can't open the doors? Which system is really better then: manual or powered?

In any case, I don't mind other folks using all the new gadgets they can afford or at least get a loan for. They certainly should be allowed if for nothing else than the advancement of science and boosting manufacturing activity and giving folks jobs. But I do mind when I HAVE to buy them because no cars are made without them.

Bah, Humbug. :-/

[NeilBlanchard]

I drove with homebrew video mirrors for about 5 years. They work better than optical mirrors in most situations, and with OEM engineering, they could be better in a few more.

They save a fair bit of energy, by reducing both the frontal area and improving the Cd. You can have NO BLIND SPOTS. Like with optical mirrors, if you see something - you should turn to look.

If we are considering having cars that drive a some level of autonomy - then it is obvious that video mirrors are much easier and simpler. The approval process should be much more straight forward.

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by jpc123

Maybe I need more practice. The backup cam in our van completely trashes my backup skillz, so I back as I normally would and ignore the stupid thing.

My son's new Silverado has a rear view camera with two yellow stripes that wave back and forth when you move the steering wheel.

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Unrelated- I was surprised to learn recently from several women that proficiency in backing up a trailer is attractive/impressive.

Put you hand on the bottom of the wheel instead of the top and just do what seems natural. It all falls into place.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by MeteorGray

My only problem with all the gadgets that the engineers can dream up is the COST, both at the original purchase and when repairing/replacing them.

I was talking about something along those lines with a friend. Not only about the cost of a repair, but also about some easier availability of replacements.

Heck, I still lament the fact that I cannot buy wind-up windows anymore, especially when one or more of the powered ones fail to work. And are they really better except for the minor inconvenience of not having to use a muscle or two to wind up manual windows? What happens if/when you roll the car into a lake with all the windows up and the electric system shorted out and you can't open the doors? Which system is really better then: manual or powered?

That's a good point, even though I never lurked about getting a car to drop it into a lake...

[freebeard]

I drove my 1952 Ford hardtop into a swarm of bees with all four windows down. I was frantically rolling up the ones I could reach.

[Tahoe_Hybrid]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I drove my 1952 Ford hardtop into a swarm of bees with all four windows down. I was frantically rolling up the ones I could reach.

I drove threw a swarm they did not bother me I was in EV mode so they could not hear me

[litesong]

Originally Posted by MeteorGray

COST.... repairing/replacing..... cameras and their screens?

As cars age, & are purchased by poorer people, rear-view cameras are economically harder to repair.... & WON'T be, in ever increasing number of cases.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by MeteorGray

My only problem with all the gadgets that the engineers can dream up is the COST, both at the original purchase and when repairing/replacing them.

Example: adding rear-view mirrors on a car might cost $10 at the factory, and they last the life of the car. What about the cameras and their screens?

Heck, I still lament the fact that I cannot buy wind-up windows anymore, especially when one or more of the powered ones fail to work. And are they really better except for the minor inconvenience of not having to use a muscle or two to wind up manual windows? What happens if/when you roll the car into a lake with all the windows up and the electric system shorted out and you can't open the doors? Which system is really better then: manual or powered?

My guess is cameras can beat the cost of motorized mirrors, and I bet manufacturers aren't paying much more than $10 for backup cameras now. You can purchase (low quality) backup cameras on Ebay for $3.50 shipped to your door.

I've had many broken side mirrors over the years on many different vehicles. Often the motors that adjust them stop working. With cameras, there are no motors and nothing to adjust. That will be safer for drivers since you never need to adjust them, and there are no blind spots.

Regarding manual vs power windows... I've had several manual windows break, but have never had an issue with a power window. I know, it's anecdotal, but at least with power windows the forces exerted on the system are known, so engineers don't have to design for apes.

About the only feature I've never understood is "hill hold". That's called the brake, and your foot should be on it whenever you don't intend to be moving. I've never had a problem holding a hill unless it was covered in ice and I used momentum to get up it.

Regarding power windows in a lake, they won't work but not because of an electrical short (fresh water is not very conductive), but for the same reason the mechanical one won't; water pressure pushing the glass against the seal so hard that the window won't budge.

Best strategy is to wait for the vehicle to fill entirely, then open the door. Keeping calm enough to do this will be impossible for most people.