I can see this having good and bad points.
You will have much better visibility at roundabouts, junctions, etc.
However… as a bit of a tech bod I can see this having potential downsides
Firstly, all screens - except for some e-readers - must be backlit. That means at night there will be two lights in your cab shining at your face. I’ve heard Mercedes’s argument about automatic dimming but the lowest level where they can be seen will hinder your vision.
Secondly, the resolution on a screen will never be as good as a mirror. Nor will the refresh rate. The screens will need, at a minimum, to be 4K, 120Hz. And they’re not. They’re 720x1920. Not even HD.
Mercedes’s electronics haven’t been their strong point - look at how they program a gearbox. I think they’ve either been duped into buying and fitting these or they’re trying to find a unique selling point.
If someone could drive one at night and get back to us with a review that’d be great. Till then I’m going to assume that they’re crap.
Dan156:
Firstly, all screens - except for some e-readers - must be backlit. That means at night there will be two lights in your cab shining at your face. I’ve heard Mercedes’s argument about automatic dimming but the lowest level where they can be seen will hinder your vision.
Secondly, the resolution on a screen will never be as good as a mirror. Nor will the refresh rate. The screens will need, at a minimum, to be 4K, 120Hz. And they’re not. They’re 720x1920. Not even HD.
I think you might find that the backlighting thing isn’t an issue. Once you are used to them it will be no different to having your satnav in your eyeline. Do you find your satnav dangerously distracting when driving at night?
As for the resolution, Yes, they are not HD but they are also 30cm closer to the driver and protected from the elements. So a small drop in resolution is made up for by the fact they are closer and not made of glass that gets dirty, on the wrong side of another piece of glass that gets dirty. I know the lenses will be subject to becoming dirty but when it comes to big dirt, like bird droppings, they are a much smaller target too.
I’m a photographer in my spare time and I faced this dilemma a couple of years back when I switched from SLR to Mirrorless cameras. My viewfinder is a small digital screen rather than a periscope type system. It took 30 seconds for my brain to spot the minor differences with the two systems and mentally account for them so now, it can pick up an XT-2 or a 1D Mk.IV and get the same result from both. The human brain is remarkable in making that leap so quickly.
Dan156:
I can see this having good and bad points.
You will have much better visibility at roundabouts, junctions, etc.
However… as a bit of a tech bod I can see this having potential downsides
Firstly, all screens - except for some e-readers - must be backlit. That means at night there will be two lights in your cab shining at your face. I’ve heard Mercedes’s argument about automatic dimming but the lowest level where they can be seen will hinder your vision.
Secondly, the resolution on a screen will never be as good as a mirror. Nor will the refresh rate. The screens will need, at a minimum, to be 4K, 120Hz. And they’re not. They’re 720x1920. Not even HD.
Mercedes’s electronics haven’t been their strong point - look at how they program a gearbox. I think they’ve either been duped into buying and fitting these or they’re trying to find a unique selling point.
If someone could drive one at night and get back to us with a review that’d be great. Till then I’m going to assume that they’re crap.
An idiot following you on main beam will be very off putting with conventional mirrors, but will be limited on camera/screen systems.
Actros ed.
An interesting read, thanks.
I personally think those new mirrors are a good idea.
As regards the cost of replacement issue, a few years ago, in my mp3 actros, I lost my nearside mirrors when I hit a tree branch that managed to take everything off the truck, mirror arm included.
The cost was over £500.
robthedog:
sammym:
From what I’ve heard these make blindsiding an awful lot easier and an awful lot more safe. So I’m all for it.
When driving for supermarkets I got used to having the glass window in the back of the cab. Meaning I could see when blindsiding. It was a bit of a doddle once you got used to it. I’m not sure why that isn’t a standard feature on all trucks tbh, along with side windows at the back. But if this allows drivers to see then it’s a great idea. Same as when going around very very tight bends out in the countryside - we can use blindspot mirrors etc but it will be nice to see properly.
Have you ever tried sleeping in a greenhouse !!!
Learn how to reverse much better idea
No I’ve not tried sleeping in a greenhouse. I have a nice bed for that at home. Not everyone wants to sleep in a truck.
As far as learning to reverse… I regularly do blindside reverse. But anything that makes it easier is good to my mind. My car has reverse marking sensors and I use them as well. My partners car has a camera which I use. Many ridids have cameras which again I use. We don’t need to stay in the dark ages driving crappy manual gearboxes and sleeping on wooden boards in the cab.