Yup, I’m talking about driving only. In other contexts one can definitely see too much.
Whitey, I’ve noticed this happen too, but I don’t know why.
It will have to be an array of several cameras intelligently combined to give an approximation of a panoramic view. No blind spots, no need to turn your head, letting you concentrate on the forward view. The displayed image will have the preferred brightness and contrast with no glare from the sun setting behind you or a clueless driver with his high beams on. For night driving the displays will be able to show details not visible to the human eye. Is a car pill mg out of a poorly lighted driveway? The car can draw your attention to it. I expect all kinds of interesting, useful features. We’re just taking baby steps now with blind spot detectors, automatic parallel parking, and lane departure warnings
How about this: Keep the mirrors but have them automatically fold in at cruising speeds, then switch to a camera system with blind spot warning? If something is wrong with the camera system, the mirrors can be folded out at the touch of a button, or if the driver doesn’t mind losing the fuel economy, the folding in feature can be disabled. Also, if you’re going to add cameras, it’s silly to not enable them with night vision.
“Cameras actually have an advantage. When it’s dark and raining, when you look at your mirror you’re looking through a wet sheet of glass onto a reflection in a wet and typically dirty mirror. A camera and screen system if properly designed can present a much clearer and wider view image.”
Absolutely!
I am not sure if most forum members are aware that the OEM backup camera system on cars actually amplifies available light at night (at least the one on my car does!).
Last night–at around 9:30 PM–when leaving an obedience-training session with my dog, it was raining very hard. The parking area had no ambient lighting, and there were people walking/darting around with their dogs, in an effort to get to their own cars w/o getting soaked too much. Ergo–a potentially dangerous situation when backing out of a parking space and trying to turn around.
Did I use my mirrors?
Of course.
However, the view through those mirrors was close to useless, due to the darkness and–in the case of the outside mirrors–a very blurry view as a result of being streaked with rain.
By doing my reverse K-turn very slowly and by relying mostly on the backup camera, I had a very well-illuminated wide-angle view that would be impossible any other way.
Additionally, no matter how fast or how often I might have tired to swivel my head, there is no way that I would have been able to get a constant wide-angle view of everything behind me.
I agree that we need to retain mirrors as both a back-up system in case of electronic problems, and–obviously–to use in highway driving situations, but unless you have experienced the dramatic difference in the type of view provided by a good OEM backup camera system, then you can’t imagine how much of an advantage it can be.
Note: I have no idea whether the after-market systems also amplify available light, so my comments should be interpreted only as an endorsement of OEM equipment. Also–the monitor on the aftermarket systems tend to me very small. The monitor on my car has an 8" diagonal display, and is mounted as high on the dashboard as is possible.
In addition to amplifying light, cameras cut down significantly on glare. You can look at a video image of a bright light like the sun for as long as you want, but a bright like that can make you see spots.
"Cameras actually have an advantage. When it's dark and raining, when you look at your mirror you're looking through a wet sheet of glass onto a reflection in a wet and typically dirty mirror. A camera and screen system if properly designed can present a much clearer and wider view image."
Well that’s just the opposite of what I see through my camera when it’s raining out. The lens has rain droplets on it and I have a hard time seeing anything through the mirror. When it’s dark and dry…the camera is a nice option. When it’s snowing - forget about it. Every time you back up you’ll have to stop the vehicle and clear the lens.
^
Mike–Have you ever considered putting a little dab of Rain-X on the lens?
While my problems with rain droplets were always minimal, after putting some Rain-X on the lens they are non-existent.
It’ll just take some time for the public…and the feds…to get used to the utility and normality of cameras in place of mirrors.
Then they’ll be everywhere.
Remember when plastic and aerodynamic headlight lenses were not allowed by law on U.S. vehicles ? Yet other counties had them and they worked just fine .
No matter how aerodynamic the vehicle design was , it had to have sealed beams !
Yeears passed and finally…
Mike--Have you ever considered putting a little dab of Rain-X on the lens?
No…And if we’re talking about making camera’s mandatory…then having people put something rain-x on the camera lens is going to be a problem.
I didn’t say that everyone should do it.
If somebody has a problem with rain droplets, it would probably be a good idea, but just like any other aspect of vehicle upkeep, most folks won’t do it and may not even need to do it.
I used the Rain-X because of an occasional situation of…perhaps…a few square millimeters of slight blurring on my monitor. I used the Rain-X because I had it. I certainly could have continued to drive the car and see behind me without using it.
@MikeInNH, Rain-x is just as useful on glass as it is on a camera lens. You can live and drive safely without it, but using it usually increases visibility in wet weather. Nobody said it would be mandatory. If you’re having trouble seeing through a lens because it’s wet, you’re probably going to have a problem seeing through wet glass when it’s wet too.
If you're having trouble seeing through a lens because it's wet, you're probably going to have a problem seeing through wet glass when it's wet too.
I’ve NEVER had a problem with my mirrors.
The problem with the Camera Lens is that it’s located in the rear of the vehicle. Water splashes up and stays there. I’ve never seen water pool up on my mirrors. Have you? Sorry - but these are completely different designs…The lens and it’s location can and will have water collecting on it…mirrors don’t.
Side mirrors are rear-facing too, and water does collect on them, especially when they get dirty.
Side mirrors are rear-facing too, and water does collect on them, especially when they get dirty.
I’ve seen a little bit of water…but nothing that blocked the mirror so much I couldn’t see. Remember the backup lens is very small. One droplet will skew your vision. The water is NOT getting splash back from the rear of the vehicle. Any rain that hits it is washed away. Not so with the back up lens.
Mike–I have to say that I have not experienced the type of problems with my backup camera that you clearly have experienced. Water doesn’t “splash up and stay there” on my camera’s lens.
I think it comes down to the placement of the lens, and that is going to differ from one make & model to another.
I have a long narrow driveway and I live in a neighborhood that doesn’t have a lot of ambient light at night. The spotlights on my garage are useful but when they’re on, they diminish my night vision and don’t do much for seeing what’s behind me backing out. When I have to leave for work in the wee hours of the morning sometimes, in the rain, it’s very difficult to see where the driveway boundaries are and easy to hit the fence or the hedges if I’m not careful and very slow backing up.
I really think cameras would be very useful for this, especially with night vision. But I wouldn’t want to give up my mirrors to have them.
In a generation the idea of using mirrors for this will seem quaint. Good camera systems have so many advantages. The image is always the appropriate brightness and shows detail even in the shadows. There is noglare. 3d effects are possible. The displays can be placed where they’re easily seen by the driver, not where they need to be to get an unobstructed view. Blind spot? What is that?
Years ago I predicted that rearview mirrors will be replaced with cameras and screens on the windows where one would view the mirrors to make the vehicle more aerodynamically smooth to save fuel.
They’ve been used in motorhomes for many years. Try backing one of those safely without one. There might be a marching band you can’t see with the mirrors.
If all our windows are replaced with video screens someday, then some clever idiot will hack the system so they can watch video on their windshield while driving.