In response to a rule-making petition filed by Ms. Barbara Sanford, NHTSA issued a Request for Comment (RFC) on the Federal Register on January 22, 2003, which included several questions about convex mirrors on commercial vehicles. Sanford`s petition called on the agency to amend our Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) for rear-view mirrors to require all commercial trucks on highways to have convex mirrors attached to their right and left front fenders to provide drivers of these vehicles with an increased field of vision when changing lanes. what the petitioner considers necessary. eliminate a blind spot caused relatively by the elevated position of commercial vehicle drivers. cars. Before receiving Sanford`s petition, the agency had decided to conduct research on heavy truck mirror systems, including wing mirrors. For the reasons set out in this document, the Agency is withdrawing the RFC and terminating this regulation, as further research is needed to assess the potential security benefits of convex mirrors in this application. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111, Rear-view Mirrors, does not require or restrict the use of convex mirrors on heavy trucks such as those mentioned in the Sanford petition.
[1] Instead, multi-purpose cars and trucks with a total laden weight (GVWR) greater than 4,536 kg (10,000 lb) must be equipped with magnifying exterior mirrors with stable supports on both sides of the vehicle. These rear-view mirrors shall be arranged in such a way that the driver has a rearward view on both sides of the vehicle and is adjustable in both horizontal and vertical directions. As for the use of convex mirrors on heavy trucks in the fleet, the agency previously noted that they are widely used by the heavy truck industry and that informal surveys of NHTSA employees suggested that about two-thirds of large trucks (without cab superstructures) were equipped only with convex mirrors on the right front wing and about half with convex mirrors on both front fenders. S13.5 Adjustable mirrors are adjusted before the test according to the manufacturer`s recommendations. These mirrors shall not be moved or readjusted at any time during the test. This law applies to all trucks with a total weight of up to 26,000 pounds or more. Although it only applies to commercial vehicles registered in New York, other states may follow. Vehicles from other states passing through New York do not need to install the mirrors. For example, Mr. Roger Brock, an individual, referred to an informal intergovernmental survey of train-trailer combinations with 336 units, which found that approximately 64% of affected trucks had a convex rear-view mirror mounted on the front wing on at least one side and about 46% had one on both sides. The Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) responded that sales data from six manufacturers from the last 2-3 years showed a range of 7% to 72%, which varied depending on the manufacturer, the truck sold was equipped with convex mirrors mounted on the hood / fenders.
TMA also estimated that the list prices of these mirrors vary between $65 and $225 per mirror. The American Trucking Associations agreed that a significant portion of commercial vehicles currently use wing mirrors, but explained that some truck or truck tractor configurations will not allow the use of such mirrors due to the specific applications of these vehicles. The mirror specifications in your current correspondence appear to be identical to those in your previous petition, except that the radius of curvature is now between 30 and 65 inches. However, this range of curvature is not within the radius of curvature (between 35 and 65 inches) required by fmVSS #111. In addition, your rear-view mirror is not marked with the warning: „The objects in the rear-view mirror are closer than they appear to be”, as required by FMVSS No. 111. For these reasons, and as explained in detail in the notice of rejection, see 56 FR 42716, these mirrors are only used in addition to those provided by FMVSS No. 111 mirrors required.
This table of contents is a navigation tool that is processed from the headers in the legal text of the documents in the federal register. This repetition of titles to internal navigation links has no material legal effect. These two rules greatly simplify the determination of image positions for objects placed in front of concave mirrors. In the next section of Lesson 3, these two rules are applied to determine the position, orientation, size, and type of image produced by a concave mirror. Since the rules are applied in the construction of beam diagrams, do not forget that the law of reflection applies to each of these rays. It is simply that when the law of reflection is applied to a beam (either parallel to the main axis or through F) hitting the mirror at a point close to the main axis, the beam is reflected in close approximation with the two rules above. July 2011: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill requiring convex mirrors to be placed at the front of large trucks. These mirrors, also known as crossover mirrors, eliminate the blind spot right in front of the truck. This responds to your letter of August 22, 2001, asking you if your OEM mirror is „a legal authorized radius of curvature, a set of informational warnings and the use of a FAIL SAFE graphic reflection concept permanently engraved in the glass mirror for day and night use.” Specifically, you specify that the radius of curvature of your rear-view mirror is 30 to 65 inches and that your mirror contains an „annular indicator” and the phrase „Vehicles larger than the ring do not change lanes”. As explained below, your mirror is only allowed in addition to the mirrors required by fmVSS #111.
The law of reflection works for both a curved surface and a flat surface: S11. Construction of mirrors. The average reflectance of a mirror required by this standard shall be determined in accordance with SAE J964 OCT84 (taken by reference, see § 571.5). All individual reflective mirrors must have an average reflectance of at least 35%. If a mirror can achieve more than one reflection level, the minimum reflection level in day mode shall be at least 35 % and the minimum reflection level in night mode shall be at least 4 %. A multi-reflection mirror shall either be equipped with a device enabling the driver to adjust the mirror to a reflectance of at least 35 % in the event of an electrical failure, or automatically achieve such reflectance in the event of an electrical failure. The new law was not supported by the New York State Motor Truck Association (NYSMTA). Kendra Adams, CEO of NYSMTA, says crossover mirrors lose their effectiveness when the truck is in motion. Since injuries or fatalities occur when a moving truck hits a pedestrian, the rear-view mirror may not really be able to prevent these incidents. Adams suggested equipping phone surveys throughout New York City with large, convex mirrors that would allow passing vehicles to see the corners. Such mirrors are currently used in many parts of Europe.
As mentioned above, NHTSA released on the 22nd. January 2003 an RFC on convex mirrors on commercial vehicles (68 FR 2993). [2] The Agency received 24 comments in response to our published RFC from automotive and automotive equipment suppliers, trade associations, public interest groups and individuals. These comments are available at dms.dot.gov/search/searchFormSimple.cfm (File No. 12347). [3] Several of the comments gave an overview of convex mirrors in general. However, none of the responses contained data demonstrating the safety benefits associated with the requirement for convex mirrors on the right and left front fenders of commercial vehicles. (b) exterior rear-view mirrors with unit enlargement, each with a reflective surface of at least 126 cm2, mounted on both sides of the vehicle with stable supports arranged in such a way that the driver has a rearward view on both sides of the vehicle and which are adjustable in both horizontal and vertical directions to view the rear scene. After careful consideration, NHTSA has decided to withdraw these regulations. The Agency considers that further research on front wing convex mirrors is needed to draw appropriate conclusions about the effectiveness of these devices, and we are currently conducting such research. If this research indicates a need for future rules, the agency will act accordingly.
If you or someone you know has been involved in a pedestrian, truck or commercial vehicle accident, you have rights. Please contact us for a free consultation to tell us your story and explain your legal options. You may be entitled to compensation for the physical, financial and emotional pressure caused by the accident. (b) Contains one or more mirrors that together, at the location of the driver`s eye, provide a view of: For non-legal matters: Mr. David M. Hines, Accident Avoidance Standards Bureau, telephone number: (202) 493-0245, FAX NUMBER: (202) 366-7002. For legal questions: Mr. Eric Stas, Office of the Chief Counsel, telephone number: (202) 366-2992, FAX NUMBER: (202) 366-3820. You can email one of these agents at NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590. Light is always reflected according to the law of reflection, whether the reflection comes from a flat or curved surface.