Ford is introducing a ‘Smart Mirror’ for its vans to help bring maximum visibility for drivers.
Although it looks exactly like a regular rear-view mirror, the Smart Mirror is actually a high-definition screen that clearly displays a panoramic view behind the van. This helps drivers to spot cyclists, pedestrians and other vehicles behind them, even when windowless rear doors or partitions are blocking visibility.
Also available for retrofitting, the mirror has been developed for Ford Transit and Transit Custom vans fitted with windowless rear doors and takes a live feed from a camera on the rear of the van. It offers a field of view that is twice the width of a conventional rear-view mirror, and also comes with automatic brightness control for optimum visibility in daylight and at night.
It’s particularly aimed at delivery drivers making frequent drop-offs in cities, where they are more likely to encounter those on bikes, e-scooters or on foot; vulnerable road users accounted for 70% of road accident fatalities in Europe’s urban areas in 2019.
Owen Gregory, director, commercial vehicle aftersales, Ford of Europe, commented: “Providing our drivers with maximum visibility – especially in urban areas where there is so much to look out for – increases their confidence and is a key part of making journeys safer for them, and for other road users as well.”
The Smart Mirror is compatible with Transit vans built from 2014 and Transit Custom models built from 2012, and can be ordered and fitted by any Ford dealer.
