Backup cameras for side mirrors?

[pengyou]

I know that backup cameras are now common on vehicles. Has anyone tried to replace their side mirrors with digital cameras also? It makes sense to me...then to drive a bus you only need to keep looking forward and down, at your monitors.

[miltruckman]

You cannot replace the mirrors and still meet DOT standards.

But I installed a camera on each mirror bracket and they are great.

Came from rearviewsafety.com

They and the backup camera have been invaluable. Especially at night.

Bill

[pengyou]

Originally Posted by miltruckman

You cannot replace the mirrors and still meet DOT standards.

But I installed a camera on each mirror bracket and they are great.

Came from rearviewsafety.com

They and the backup camera have been invaluable. Especially at night.

Bill

But I guess I could fold them into the bus while driving?

[Ohregano]

Originally Posted by pengyou

But I guess I could fold them into the bus while driving?

The mirrors or the cameras? The mirrors are literally one of your essentials. Properly adjusted mirrors on a school bus are invaluable. I can back a bus into a spot with 12" or less clearance on each side without any camera at all. Mirrors really do show a lot on a bus. The one above the drivers head has nothing to do with seeing outside the bus like it would in a car. Just so you know.

Camera wise... The mirrors are generally multiple inches to a foot or more away from the bus. Not sure how you would fold them in unless attached directly to the bus. Which of course could work. You can also just put a backup camera attached to the dash like you would in a car though...

[geminusprime]

To back up what the others have said, you shouldn't mess with the mirrors. Even if you had a 360 degree camera system, you still are required to have mirrors to be legal. Plus a minor power cut without mirrors could go from annoying to catastrophic on a bad day.

[JDOnTheGo]

Originally Posted by Ohregano

The mirrors are literally one of your essentials. Properly adjusted mirrors on a school bus are invaluable.

Completely agree!!

IMO and experience, you need to be looking from mirror to mirror very rapidly/often (when backing/maneuvering) and you would need multiple (large) monitors to be able to duplicate that with a camera. I drove a friends 34' motorhome with side cameras (that are 'on' when the blinker is on) and that was ok for 'additional data' when clearing the side to change lanes but not useful (IMO) when backing/maneuvering and certainly not a replacement for good and properly adjusted mirrors.

I drove a friends new SUV the other day and was very surprised at how little I could see (yes, mirrors were adjusted). Much safer backing/maneuvering my 45' coach than that SUV.

[cadillackid]

+1 on mirrors. I have a friend who has messed around with cameras on his truck.. also noted was in his pickup his side mirrors folded in vs out .didnt net Much of an MPG gain as he thought it would.. yes there was a little.. but my guess it would be less % even on a school bus..



the issue is even with a wide-eye camera it doesnt get the full perspective view on one screen.. or one field of view.. since the mirrors stick out you get a perspective view of your rear corners with a partial behind-the-vehicle. angle..



running separate rear and side cameras even mointaged on a single screen made it much harder to back up than having standard mirrors on the side and then an actual rear-view camera.. he found that 85-90% of situations involed never needing the backuo camera.. instead using the extended view that a true side mirror offers of the rear corner..





I suspect that advanced saoftware which could truly merge the images of side cameras and rearview mirrors correctly in a single image would be beneficial and likely negate the need for real mirrors.. but as of yet, the general consumer doesnrt have affordable options for this type of tech..