Rear Camera Mirror Cars: Innovative Safety Feature

In recent years, many car manufacturers have started to include rear camera mirrors in their vehicles. This feature provides drivers with a wider and less obstructed view behind the car, which can be helpful when driving or parking. The rear camera mirror is available in several car models across different brands, including Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, and Audi. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US has also mandated that all vehicles built in the country from May 1, 2018, onwards, must be equipped with a rear camera, further increasing the prevalence of this technology.

Digital rear-view mirrors improve visibility and have a wide field of view

Digital rear-view mirrors are a significant upgrade from conventional mirrors. They improve visibility and have a wider field of view, eliminating blind spots and enhancing road safety.

Enhanced Field of Vision

Digital rear-view mirrors provide a much wider field of view than traditional mirrors. This is because the camera can be positioned at the rear of the car, eliminating obstructions like headrests, passengers, cargo, and pillars. This unrestricted view improves visibility and road safety, especially when making tight turns or reversing.

Improved Night-Time Visibility

Digital rear-view mirrors also offer superior visibility in low-light conditions. The camera sensors require very little light to produce a clear image, even in dark environments. Additionally, the image brightness can be boosted in darker conditions, further enhancing visibility beyond that of a traditional mirror.

No Glare or Reflections

Another advantage of digital rear-view mirrors is the elimination of glare and reflections. Traditional mirrors can be affected by sunlight during the day or bright headlights at night, causing distractions and reducing visibility. With digital mirrors, you can adjust the brightness and contrast on the monitor to reduce glare and improve visibility.

Weatherproof

Traditional mirrors often face issues in rainy or snowy conditions, as water droplets or snow can blur the reflection and reduce visibility. Digital rear-view mirrors are better protected and equipped with lenses that prevent fogging or misting, ensuring clear visibility even in harsh weather conditions.

Reduced Vehicle Size and Drag

By replacing conventional mirrors with digital ones, there is an effective reduction in the overall size of the vehicle. This not only improves manoeuvrability but also reduces vehicle drag, leading to improved fuel efficiency and performance.

In conclusion, digital rear-view mirrors offer significant advantages over their conventional counterparts. They provide improved visibility, a wider field of view, and enhanced safety features, making them a valuable innovation in the automotive industry.

Digital side mirrors have a wide field of view and don't need to be adjusted for each driver

Digital side mirrors are a relatively new feature in the automotive world, and they offer a host of benefits that enhance the driving experience. One of the standout advantages of digital side mirrors is their wide field of view. With these mirrors, you can see more of what's happening beside and behind your vehicle, reducing blind spots and improving overall visibility. This extra field of view can be a game-changer when it comes to manoeuvring in tight spaces, changing lanes, or simply keeping an eye on surrounding traffic.

Another plus point of digital side mirrors is that they do not need to be adjusted for each driver. Unlike traditional side mirrors, which often require manual adjustments to suit different drivers' seating positions and preferences, digital side mirrors offer a more universal solution. This is because they are typically cameras and displays, so the viewing angle is already optimised for a broad range of driving scenarios. This feature not only saves time but also ensures that each driver benefits from the full field of view without needing to fine-tune the mirrors to their specific needs.

The advanced technology of digital side mirrors also brings other benefits. For example, they eliminate the issue of glare from bright headlights or low-angle sunlight, enhancing night-time visibility. Additionally, the image brightness can be automatically boosted in darker conditions, further improving visibility beyond that of conventional mirrors. The lack of physical movement in digital side mirrors also means there are fewer mechanical parts to fail or need replacement over time.

While digital side mirrors offer these advantages, it's worth noting that there are some challenges to their adoption. For instance, judging distances can become more difficult due to the 2D nature of the displayed image. Some drivers may also find themselves instinctively moving their heads to change the viewing angle, even though this is not necessary with digital mirrors. Furthermore, the image quality of digital mirrors may vary, with some users reporting lower quality images in digital rearview mirrors compared to side mirrors.

Despite these considerations, digital side mirrors represent an exciting evolution in automotive technology, offering enhanced visibility, convenience, and safety for drivers. With their wide field of view and lack of adjustment needs, they are a compelling feature for anyone seeking a more modern and efficient driving experience.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration mandated that all vehicles built in the US after May 1, 2018, be equipped with a rear camera

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandated that all vehicles built in the US after May 1, 2018, be equipped with a rear camera. This was done to reduce the risk of devastating backover crashes involving vulnerable populations such as very young children and to satisfy the mandate of the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007.

Chevrolet's Rear Camera Mirror provides a wide and less obstructed view and allows for brightness, tilt and zoom adjustments

The Rear Camera Mirror is a General Motors safety technology that replaces the traditional rear-view mirror with high-resolution video streaming to a display in the rear-view mirror. This provides a wider and less obstructed view, improving on the traditional inside rearview mirror.

The Rear Camera Mirror system consists of a rear-facing high-definition camera with a high dynamic range designed to enhance the rear view lane width and maximise low-light situations. The camera reduces glare and provides a crisper image in low-light conditions compared to a traditional glass electrochromatic, or auto-dimming, rearview mirror. The camera is also finished with a water-shedding hydrophobic coating to maintain visibility in all driving conditions.

The second-generation Chevrolet Rear Camera Mirror, introduced on the 2019 Cadillac XT4 and 2019 Cadillac CT6, features increased brightness adjustments, from 3 to 5 settings, and tilt/position adjustments for the camera. The screen and camera resolutions have also been increased from 1280x240 pixels to 1440x300 pixels.

The benefits of the Chevrolet Rear Camera Mirror are most evident when driving, changing lanes, and checking for vehicles and traffic conditions. It provides a clear view of the area behind the vehicle, with no obstructions from passengers, headrests, the vehicle's roof, or rear pillars. The system improves the field of vision by 300%, or roughly four times greater than a standard rearview mirror.

The Rear Camera Mirror can be disabled by flipping down the tab on the underside of the mirror, reverting it to a traditional electrochromatic rearview mirror.

Some cars with standard rearview cameras include the 2015 Honda Fit, 2015 Honda Civic, 2015 Honda Accord, 2016 Ford Focus, 2016 Ford Fusion, 2015 Ford Mustang, 2015 Ford Taurus, 2016 Chevrolet Spark, 2016 Chevrolet Volt, 2015 Toyota Camry, 2015 Toyota Avalon, 2015 Toyota Prius, 2015 Volkswagen Passat, 2015 Subaru Impreza, 2015 Subaru Legacy, 2015 Kia Cadenza, 2015 Hyundai Azera and 2015 Hyundai Veloster

Many modern cars are now fitted with rearview cameras as standard, and some automakers have been offering this feature for years. Honda, for example, has been fitting rearview cameras to most of its models as standard since 2013, and the 2024 Honda Accord features a multi-angle rearview camera. This includes the 2015 Honda Fit, which has a multi-angle rearview camera with wide, normal, and overhead bumper views, and the 2015 Honda Civic, which comes with a single-angle rearview camera as standard.

Other Honda models with standard rearview cameras include the 2015 Honda Accord, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2013 Honda Fit EV, and the 2012 Honda CR-V. Honda's smaller vehicles, such as the Honda Insight, did not initially come with a rearview camera, but this changed with the 2013 model.

Ford is another automaker that has been offering rearview cameras as standard for several years. The 2016 Ford Focus, for instance, comes with a rearview camera, as well as two USB ports, remote keyless entry, and power front windows. The 2016 Ford Fusion also features a standard rearview camera, along with a voice-activated infotainment system and a tilt and telescoping steering wheel. The 2015 Ford Mustang and 2015 Ford Taurus also include rearview cameras as standard.

Chevrolet has also been offering standard rearview cameras on some of its models, including the 2016 Chevrolet Spark, which was upgraded to include this feature, and the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, which also boasts a sleeker and sportier style.

Toyota is another automaker that has been offering standard rearview cameras on some of its models, including the 2015 Toyota Camry, 2015 Toyota Avalon, and the 2015 Toyota Prius.

Other cars that feature standard rearview cameras include the 2015 Volkswagen Passat, 2015 Subaru Impreza, 2015 Subaru Legacy, 2015 Kia Cadenza, 2015 Hyundai Azera, and 2016 Hyundai Veloster.

Frequently asked questions