FMCSA approves swapping rear-vison mirrors for digital cameras

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has approved an exemption request to allow trucking companies to use a digital camera system in place of rear-vision mirrors.

The FMCSA’s exemption request approval was published in the Federal Register on September 17.

The waiver will allow Robert Bosch LLC and Mekra Lang North America LLC to equip trucks with a ‘CV Digital Mirror System’ in place of the two required rear-vision mirrors.

The companies say that the CV Digital Mirror System involves multiple digital cameras are mounted high on the exterior of the vehicle and that these cameras are connected to monitors located on the left and right A-pillars of the commercial motor vehicle.

The FMCSA pointed out several advantages to the usage of the CV Digital Mirror System:

Use of the CV Digital Mirror System provides CMV drivers with an enhanced field of view when compared to the required rear-vision mirrors because (1) it eliminates the blind spots on both sides of the vehicle created by the required rear-vision mirrors, (2) the multi-camera system expands the field of view compared to the required rear- vision mirrors by an estimated 25 percent, and (3) the system uses high definition cameras and monitors that include features such as color night vision, low light sensitivity, and light and glare reduction that together help provide drivers with improved vision in the field of view when compared to traditional rear-vision mirrors.

The waiver is valid for five years.

The FMCSA has approved similar exemption requests from Stoneridge Inc. and Vision Systems North America.