Exterior Mirrors Must be Convex for Safety

According to accident statistics from the NHTSA and the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 413,000 vehicle accidents are caused by blind spot-related mishaps. Lane change accidents such as side-swipes damage more than 826,000 vehicles and injure more than 160,000 people each and every year. Convex mirrors can drastically reduce those numbers.

The NHTSA has stated that studies show "passenger side mirror image comparisons of convex and planar mirrors illustrate the enhanced traffic detection provided by convex mirrors. With a convex passenger side mirror the driver will be able to detect a vehicle in the next lane even if the vehicle is as far forward as the passenger side window, while the driver of a vehicle with a flat passenger side mirror, as required by S6, cannot see the vehicle until it is almost 20 feet behind the vehicle."

In 2004, the European Union (EU) passed regulation to address new rules to eliminate the "blind spot" on motor vehicles that would entail:

• Increasing the mandatory minimum field of vision for certain vehicles;

• Mounting additional mirrors on certain vehicles;

• Upgrading technical characteristics of mirrors in line with technical progress;

• Replacing certain mirrors with other indirect vision systems, such as camera/monitor systems.

The Automobile Safety Foundation [ASF] has been a leader in advocating that all automobile companies take remedial action on the production of rear-view mirrors and begin manufacturing safe side-view mirrors as standard equipment.

ASF petitioned the NHTSA for rule-making to amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 (FMVSS 111) in 2005.

In light of the ASF petition, the EU's ruling, and many years of research, the ASF believes that NHTSA FMVSS 111 rule- making is getting close.

Source: The Automobile Safety Foundation

Important footnote: Viewers should also read 'Setting the Exterior Mirrors -- a Poor Reflection on Fashion' (from DSA)