Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems is asking federal regulators for flexibility in how its crash-avoidance cameras are mounted on windshields.
The request follows waivers recently approved by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in the last two months for similar requests from J. J. Keller, Samsara and Nauto.
FMCSA regulations require vehicle safety devices such as those manufactured by Bendix in its exemption request to be mounted “not more than 4 inches below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers or not more than 7 inches above the lower edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers.”
They also must be outside the driver’s sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals, according to the agency. Bendix has requested that it be allowed to mount its cameras lower in the windshield than is currently permitted.
Bendix uses driver-assist technology that integrates cameras with radar and brakes. Combining these technologies, according to the company, creates a system “that typically assesses situations faster and reacts earlier, while also reducing instances of false alerts and false interventions, and prioritizing alerts to help reduce driver distraction that may result from multiple alerts sounding simultaneously.”
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