Side View Mirror With A Spotter Is Finalist For Pace Award
"One of the things about good or great innovations is that they tell a compelling story and they become familiar," says Dr. Bill Sharfman, Director of Judging of the Automotive News PACE Awards.
In their 15th year, the PACE Awards honor superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance among automotive suppliers.
"Historically the ones that are good change the rules of the game. Over time they become must haves," he said.
Sharfman notes an example of this: JCI's HomeLink, a wireless car-to-home communication system that won a PACE Award in 1995. "Now it's 'wallpaper' but at the time no one had seen anything like it before."
One of this year's finalists for the award (the judging will take place in February) could be another one of those widely adopted innovations.
The Magna BlindZoneMirror is a traditional side view mirror designed with a secondary convex spotter in the top outer corner which always provides a view of the driver's blind spot. First announced by Ford in a press release dated Aug 6, 2008, the mirror debuts on the 2009 Ford Edge, as well as on the 2009 Chevy Traverse.
"There have been a number of innovations that have tried to solve the problems of vehicles in your blind space. Many of these have been complex, electronic and expensive," says Sharfman.
"As opposed to cameras or something that relies on radar or complex electronic systems, this system is relatively simple and you get the added direct visual information in your side view mirror where you are looking anyway."
"Our kind of thing," he remarks. "is often simple, easy-to-use and it enhances capability."
Another advantage. You can equip a moderately priced vehicle with it. You can't beat that.
- Posted by
- Holly Reich November 12, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Family Cars and Concerns
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- Automotive News, Chevy Traverse, Ford Edge, Pace Awards
I have never understood the need for something like this or, worse yet, the emerging electronic blind spot warning systems. I have never owned a vehicle where I couldn't PROPERLY set up my mirrors so that as a vehicle left the view of my rear view mirror that it went into the view of my side view mirror and then went into my peripheral vision view.
My Murano has ridiculously small rear quarter windows, yet I can still set up my mirrors so that I have zero blind spots. I am all for rear backup cameras (in fact, I insist upon them), but I find these side view blind spot products a solution for laziness and/or poor training.
And here is how it should be done: http://blogs.edmunds.com/strategies/2007/01/tip-of-the-day-set-your-mirrors-for-safety.html
I think it all helps. Sometimes I haul canoes and they can interfere with my vision our the rear view mirror.
More mirror set-up advice:
http://www.carspace.com/guides/Eliminating-Blind-Spots-
http://www.carspace.com/guides/The-Zen-of-Adjusting-Your-Side-Mirrors
I agree about proper mirror setup being important, but this provides enhanced visibility to the rear, and that's never a bad thing. But why is that photo of one of the GM 360 vehicles' mirror? They don't have those (that I've ever seen, and I'm on my second Trailblazer right now).
Superior Innovation? Technological Advancement? For a convex spot mirror? This is PR spin at its worst.
I can't see giving anyone a design award for something we've all been able to buy for a couple of bucks at any auto parts store and stick to the face of our own mirrors for something like 20 or 30 years.
If anything, the automakers should be flailed for having overlooked an obvious want and need of the consumer (expressed as aftermarket sales) for so many years.