Blind-spot Cameras

I totally agree. There IS a point where needless "technology" goes way over the top and things like this and cellphones have become such a huge distraction. But, to each his/her own.

 

Strapping yourself into a contraption that can travel in excess of 100 miles per hour that weighs more than 4 or 5 thousand pounds with an explosive device behind your steering wheel that deploys a bag inflated with air to cushion the force of your head hitting the steering wheel when there are perfectly good horses to ride is a bad idea.

^ According to my blacksmith. Take your argument to him dude. I'm just the messenger.

 

As my motorcycle safety riding instructor told us:
Mirrors say no, but they never say go

 

Tell your blacksmith that fear of technology is a strawman argument. Unlike the CO2 powered claymore that resides behind my horn-honker, this technology does not exist to make the 100 mph joyride any safer.

My thesis statement is that this technology is insufficient to replace current tech at the minimum standards of safety. Mirrors and eyeballs do more than cameras. Mirrors with little yellow warning lights do a whole heap more than cameras. Let me know when a sub $100 portable optic has the light gathering and dynamic aperture range of the eye. Because that will be the day when I consider replacing my mirrors.

 

He said, "What the fuck is a straw man argument?" then I told him to look it up on the internet and he said, "What the fuck is the internet?" I've been trying to get him to use a bic lighter and a duraflame firestarter on his wood burning stove but he insists the bow drill is more efficient. <Shrug>

I'm with you though, for a different reason. If cameras replace mirrors, countless semi trailers will need to replace those "If you cannot see my mirrors I cannot see you" stickers with something like "If you cannot see my mirrors I may be able to see you, but only if I am looking at the monitor that is displaying the feed from my camera which could mean my eyes are not on the road which may present more danger to you so... just... beware. In general." The latter doesn't have the same ring to it as the former so I'm firmly in the mirrors stay, cameras no group.

 

The main point of all this is technology for the sake of technology is not beneficial. Simplicity is often better, technology is only good if it advances simplicity. I would not do a camera blind spot monitor on the center screen as it causes too much extra distraction from where your attention should be, but side mirror light is ok.

Take the Tesla style center control screens manufactures are trending toward, there is growing pushback on replacing all the physical buttons with a big smooth screen. Studies are coming out which confirm the obvious that it requires more attention and mental focus time on that screen to hit the right thing vs using peripheral vision and feel of the buttons. This is technology that is adding complexity to a task instead of simplifying it.

 

What do you mean, its got a certain ring to it for sure! And I bet the folks selling the vinyl stickers will be pumped, that baby is going to take up half the trailer!

 

The evolving technology is interesting, BUT IMHO it does nothing to enhance skillset of today's drivers.
I think that all of the following comments make excellent points:

The ONE piece of video technology that I've embraced is the trailer hitch cam that I installed on my previous Taco - I could position the ball directly under the trailer's tongue. The back-up cam on my '21 Taco is okay for parking but I am better off using mirrors to back up for any appreciable distance.

 

On the contrary, the Tesla software makes it SUPER easy. When we bought the car, It didn’t take me but an hour or so to “LEARN” the car & figure out all of the features, and now that I’m used to the car I actually find it easier than my Tacoma. The reality is that a great portion of America is not yet sold on EV’s, and humans adapt to technology change very slowly.

 

I plan to get the Anytime camera kit and am also looking into blind spot cameras when I came across this thread.

Pretty impressive but at a hefty price.

I wonder if Anytime or anyone has tried adding the side cameras triggered by the turn signal. Anytime sells a 4/1 video switcher but cameras are selected by a small remote and not triggered automatically.

 

Trigger would at (negative) light stalk for turn signal activation.