• Blindspot monitoring systems should alert a driver of a potential side collision while merging if the other vehicle is within about 10 feet of the cab of the driver’s vehicle.
• The side-view camera system, a related system, provides a panoramic view of the side of the vehicle using a screen mounted on the vehicle’s left and right windshield posts.

Blindspot monitoring systems provide the driver with an audible and/or visual warning if the driver turns on the turn signal and another vehicle is next to the vehicle. A related system is the side view camera system. These provide the driver with visibility into the blind spot by providing a panoramic view of the side of the vehicle using a screen mounted on the vehicle’s left and right windshield posts. There currently are two manufacturers that have been granted exemptions allowing the removal of the outside mirrors when their sideview camera systems are installed.

If a vehicle is equipped with a blind spot detection the driver should be alerted to a potential side collision while merging if the other vehicle is within about 10 feet of the cab of the driver’s vehicle. A vehicle moving towards the blind spot or in the blind spot should trigger a visual alert on the dash or in the mirror, and with a turn signal on it should provide a more urgent audible alert or a seat vibration. There are sensors on both sides of the vehicle. These systems, however, do not replace the need for drivers to frequently scan mirrors, especially when merging and during lane changes.

More advanced blind-spot detection systems may also have automatic emergency-steering to avoid a collision in the case of an unsafe merge or lane change.

A blind spot detection system may not detect a motorcycle or vehicles more than 10 feet away from the side of the vehicle, which includes vehicles that are moving into an adjacent lane.