WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has opened public comments on an application for exemption related to rear-vision mirrors.
According to the Federal Register filing, Convoy Technologies is requesting that commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) be able to operate while equipped with the company’s electronic rear view system.
The system works as an alternative to the two rear-vision mirrors required by the FMCSA.
Federal regulations require all CMVs to be equipped with a rear-vision mirror on each side. The mirrors must show drivers a view of the highway behind them and the area along each side of the vehicle.
To comment on the issue, click here.
The FMCSA has already granted exemptions to this rule to Rosco Vision and Robert Bosch LLC and Stoneridge.
However, The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) and others have voiced concerns about such exemptions.
“Currently mirrors meeting or exceeding the required Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111 specifications are often used by roadside inspectors and law enforcement officers to see what is happening inside the cab,” the CVSA wrote in a 2018 comment section of a mirror exemption request. “For example, a passing enforcement official can see whether the driver has remained in the driver seat; a safety concern for inspectors.”
CVSA’s comment continued: “Similarly, roadside inspectors use mirrors to identify when CMV drivers are operating a vehicle in an unsafe manner, such as while using a handheld device or not wearing a safety belt. Without status quo style mirrors, feasibility of current enforcement methods for these and related laws and regulations may be affected.”
Truck driver Joseph Gavalis wrote: “ARE YOU KIDDING ME! The mirrors are a failsafe design, especially if you have mirrors mounted on the hood of your vehicle. Just another reason to remove your eyes from the road and look down at your dashboard monitor. The mirrors keep your head up towards the windshield. the only reason they are supporting these cameras is to make money. Don’t be stupid Too much technology is not always a good thing.”
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
