Time To Get Rid Of Rear View Mirrors?

April 9, 2014 in Daily Bulletin

Elon Musk and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers want to replace side and rearview mirrors with cameras writes Ariel Bogle:

  • Having cameras instead of mirrors would increase the efficiency of cars as side view mirrors currently create a lot of drag.
  • Image processing features such as infrared and thermal imaging sensors could also be added to improve safety.
  • It seems the best place to put the image from the cameras would be on the steering wheel – keeping the image in the driver’s field of view.
  • This could be expensive. Adding cameras in the back to help those reversing their cars costs at least $45 per vehicle.
  • Regulators may feel that it creates more safety risks than it fixes – after all, what if the camera breaks?

You can read more about the pros and cons of the move, as well as the role that state regulations might play, and why ultimately none of this will probably matter over here.

Source: Slate