Rearview cameras COME INTO SIGHT

Momentum is building behind replacing mirrors with camera monitor systems as the technology edges closer to regulatory approval.

To borrow from a well-known automotive phrase, “Objects in mirror” aren't really closer than they appear-because the mirror itself appears poised to become another relic of the analog age. Long-debated since the technology quickly became more sophisticated and less costly, camera systems to replace external rearview mirrors for trucks and other on- and off-road commercial vehicles are likely just around the corner.

With surprisingly little fanfare last December, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Admin. (FMCSA) granted a 5-year exemption for on-road commercial vehicles to install Stoneridge Inc.'s MirrorEye Camera Monitor System (CMS) in place of conventional mirrors. It's been off to the races since, as Stoneridge and other rearview-camera developers sense that unconditional change to FMCSA's current commercial-vehicle mirror regulation is next.