Truckers Reflect On Auto-Dim Mirrors

RIDGEWAY, S.C. & WOODBURY, N.Y.--Lang-Mekra’s suspended particle device (SPD) mirror, which automatically and instantly adjusts to changing driving conditions to control glare for big rig truckers, will make its worldwide public debut at the upcoming SAE show in Portland, Ore., from Dec. 4-6.

“Until now, large trucks have had no effective solution to the safety and comfort problems caused by glare from approaching headlights or the sun,” said John Tobias, director of Automotive Marketing for Research Frontiers, which helped develop the technology. “Alternative light-control technologies, such as electrochromic technology which is currently used in smaller-sized mirror systems for cars, SUVs and light trucks, have been unable to offer the speed of response necessary to effectively and quickly reduce glare. As the surface area of a mirror increases, the response time for electrochromic technology becomes even slower. SPD mirrors can respond instantly, regardless of size. This makes SPD technology very well suited for use in large area applications such as truck mirrors and sunvisors, sunroofs, and windows.”

Studies have shown that self-dimming rear-view mirrors can not only improve driving comfort and reduce driver fatigue, but can also improve safety by reducing the reaction time to driving hazards. Reported studies have shown that 60 percent of rear-end, intersection and head-on collisions could be avoided if drivers had an additional one-half second of reaction time, he said. Reduced glare may also improve a driver’s ability to judge the distance of other vehicles, which makes passing and turning safer.

“A good mirror is particularly important since heavy trucks usually do not have interior rear-view mirrors like passenger cars, so truck drivers must rely heavily on their side mirrors and reportedly look at them every 7-10 seconds while moving. Also, commercial truck drivers, especially drivers of Class 7 and Class 8 trucks, do much of their driving at night when headlight glare is a particular problem,” said Tobias

The market for self-dimmable rear-view mirrors has reportedly grown at a 35 percent annual rate since 1992. Currently electrochromic self-dimming mirrors are utilized in many automotive models and account for about 6 million of the estimated annual worldwide production of 150 million rear-view mirrors for new cars and trucks. Less than 5 percent of all vehicles worldwide have automatic dimming interior mirrors, but industry participants estimate that eventually half of the 50 million light vehicles produced every year will contain an automatically dimming mirror.

(This year’s SAE International Truck and Bus Meeting and Exposition promises to be the largest exposition of its kind, with more than 110 exhibits featuring new technology, products and services for the truck and bus industry. In addition, there will be technical sessions and an in-depth forum by industry experts on truck safety. For more information, contact www.sae.org.)

Lang-Mekra, which is part of the Mekra group of companies, operates five manufacturing facilities on four continents and has additional joint ventures worldwide. These companies together comprise the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial vehicle mirror systems. Their mirrors come on brands including Mercedes, Freightliner, Sterling, Volvo, and MAN. The company has additional manufacturing and engineering facilities in Germany, Sweden, Brazil, China, Turkey and the Czech Republic. Additional information about Lang-Mekra can be found on the Internet at www.lang-mekra.com.

Research Frontiers’ proprietary SPD technology enables users to control the amount of light passing through windows, skylights, eyewear (including prescription and non-prescription sunglasses and sports goggles), automotive sunroofs, sunvisors and rear-view mirrors, as well as enabling brighter, easier to read flat panel information displays for use in computers, television, telephones and other electronic instruments and products. Research Frontiers currently has agreements in effect covering smart windows, automotive mirrors and sunvisors, eyewear, displays and other products.

The company can be found on the Internet at www.refr-spd.com.

11/14/00