US to Test Mirrorless, Camera-Based Systems in Cars

Aug. 28, 2019—The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plans to test how drivers could use cameras to replace traditional mirrors in automobiles, per a report from Reuters.

The test would examine driving behavior and lane-change maneuver execution. The new testing would initially focus on passenger vehicles and later on larger cars. The technology is already approved in Europe and Japan.

In March 2014, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers — a trade group representing General Motors, Volkswagen, Toyota and others, along with Tesla — petitioned NHTSA to use camera-based rear or side-vision systems. A similar petition was filed by Daimler in 2015 seeking approval for camera use instead of rearview mirrors in heavy-duty trucks.