Cadillac will replace the rear-view mirror with a screen that will show images from an HD camera

Technology keeps making its way into our cars to, among other things, make them ever safer. Today we look at another example of this trend, echoing an initiative from Cadillac that is very interesting and consists of replacing the interior rear-view mirror in our car with a screen that receives high-definition video.

The idea is simple, and other brands such as Nissan or Audi are working on similar devices, but that makes it no less useful. Cadillac intends to introduce it in 2017 on its CT6 model, whose mirror could work in traditional mode or, by switching modes with a lever, receive HD images from a camera located at the rear of the vehicle, which would be shown on an LCD screen of 1280×240 pixels.

What advantages would this idea have over the traditional rear-view mirror? Quite a few, because the rear camera would widen the driver’s field of vision by up to 300%. In addition, what we see in the mirror would not be influenced by the shape or size of the rear window, the headrests of the rear seats, what we place on the rear parcel shelf, or the heads of the vehicle’s occupants. Reflections would not affect it either, nor the incorrect orientation of the mirror that many drivers make, not to mention the dirt on the rear windows of some vehicles that more than one of you have seen on our roads.

Other similar proposals place the camera that captures the images inside the cabin, but Cadillac will place it on the exterior, making it resistant to water, splashes and dirt so that the quality of the images we receive is maintained. Drivers who prefer to use the traditional mirror will be able to do so, since the driver activates the option to receive video.

Some drivers don’t like so much technology in the vehicle, partly because these new devices will be more expensive than a traditional mirror, could break, and repairs would be costlier. But anything that improves safety deserves a chance, and it is possible that this kind of technology, which arrives as an extra, will become standard in the cars of the future.

Source: Card and Driver blog