Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, January 14:
FMCSA grants waiver to allow tech company’s mirrorless camera systems on U.S. trucks
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced in a Federal Register notice to be published Wednesday, Jan. 14, that it has granted a petition by Vision Systems North America to allow its mirrorless rearview camera systems to be used on trucks in the U.S.
The company’s cameras are used as an alternative to the two rear-view mirrors required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
VSNA says its Smart-Vision system provides the same functionality and view as traditional mirrors but with high-definition cameras and interior displays. The system consists of multiple digital cameras mounted high on the exterior of trucks, enclosed in aerodynamic packaging to protect the cameras. Each camera presents a high-definition image to the driver through a monitor mounted on each A-pillar in the cab.
The company says its system offers increased field-of-view when compared to conventional mirrors, enhanced vision in inclement weather and low-light conditions and a fail-safe design with independent video processing of multiple camera images.
In its decision to grant the waiver, FMCSA says the system eliminates blind spots on both sides of the truck and expands field-of-view by an estimated 25%.
I-59/20 in Birmingham, Alabama, set to reopen by Jan. 21
The Alabama Department of Transportation announced this week the I-59/20 bridges in downtown Birmingham will reopen on or before Jan. 21. The bridges have been closed for a year while crews demolished the old bridges and built new ones.
