Automakers around the world are beginning to equip their cars with blind-spot detection systems, which alert drivers when trying to change lanes if someone is lurking outside their field of vision. Most of these are surprisingly complex, involving radar sensors, warning lights, and audible alerts inside the cabin. Ford, however, has a system that accomplishes pretty much the same thing in a decidedly, um, simpler way, and now the company plans to begin rolling out its new technology ahead of schedule, starting with the 2009 Edge CUV.
Ford's solution is called the Blind Spot Mirror, and consists of a normal side view mirror designed with a secondary convex unit in the upper corner that gives drivers a clear view of whoever might be in their blind spot. Calling it an "industry-first innovation," Ford originally planned to install the mirrors in 2010, but after listening to customer demand, the system's introduction is being pushed up a year. Eventually destined for most Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles as standard equipment, company vice president of global product development Derrick Kuzak calls the Blind Spot Mirror "the latest example of our strategy to move fast and to be industry leaders in enhancing the ownership experience." According to a member of the automaker's advanced product marketing and technology planning team, "customers told us that visibility is important to them" and many specifically requested a more useful side-view mirror, and in early drive clinics 76 percent of those who tried the Blind Spot Mirror found it useful.
It's no doubt that blind spot mirrors are a help on crowded highways, since anything that minimizes drivers from having to divert attention from the road is good for safety. And while Ford says its system "provides a more seamless solution" than aftermarket mirrors because it "uses one continuous glass surface and is robust to the elements," it's probably best that the automaker plans to include it as a standard feature. It's one thing to charge for a complex monitoring system doing basically the same thing, but given that blind spot mirrors can be picked up from any auto parts store for around $1.99, customers might be more likely to question the Ford system's value.
Source: Ford