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

[Xist]

Imagine a world where brake lights were just another signal, most people never used it, and some left it on for ten or a hundred miles!

My sister-in-law says she taps her emergency flashers when people tailgate her. They do not have time to realize she did not hit her brakes, so they back off, at least momentarily.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Xist

My sister-in-law says she taps her emergency flashers when people tailgate her. They do not have time to realize she did not hit her brakes, so they back off, at least momentarily.

Sometimes my mother resorts to the emergency flashers while braking hard, in order to increase the awareness of other drivers.

[redpoint5]

I never care if people tailgate when I'm in a car; it's their own cortisol levels they are raising not mine.

On a motorcycle I get angry at the thoughtlessness. I can stop the bike on a dime if I needed to (deer perhaps) and their car would steamroll me without hardly scratching their paint. A person stuck behind me on my motorcycle isn't there because I'm slow; it's because there's no going faster. There has never been an occasion where a car was stuck behind me only on an otherwise open road.

[ksa8907]

Cameras should be allowed to replace mirrors.

That statement comes with several concerns:
1. its easy for an officer to see if a mirror is broke and write a repair ticket, perhaps not easy or even possible for cameras. Inspections?

2. It could be more expensive to repair. Mass production of industry standardized equipment would drive down the cost to being very reasonable.

3. Should there be small "spotter" mirrors as backup? Or optionally deployable?

[Xist]

Blind spot indicators seem more useful than mirrors for most people because they don't use their mirrors!

When I lived in the Phoenix area I had two people drift into my Civic, breaking my side mirror, but my mirror dented their vehicle.

Without the mirror my car would have suffered damage.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by ksa8907

Should there be small "spotter" mirrors as backup? Or optionally deployable?

I'd feel more comfortable with some mirrors at least as a backup.

[NeilBlanchard]

In Japan, they require small optical mirrors, along with video side mirrors.

[redpoint5]

If it were up to me, I'd require blind spot warning in addition to mirrors. A failure by one is then backed up by the other. Of course, both are backed up by the ability to turn and look.

[serialk11r]

I think so. The camera getting dirty problem isn't a real problem, you can just have a glass window with a stainless steel wiper that scrapes it clean.

That said I'm not that upset if they don't allow them. Nicer cars often have fairly aerodynamic mirrors (long thin stalks, "bullet nose" housing extending a good amount forward), which you could make some custom clear fairings for if you wanted to lower drag further.

Another option is to buy convex racing mirrors which would get you probably 75% of the drag reduction of cameras. Only downside is they can't be adjusted, but that's perfect if the seat also can't be adjusted

[NeilBlanchard]

The rearview camera on the Bolt EV has a spray nozzle that cleans it remotely.