Tyson Foods is testing a new technology to improve safety for its truck drivers. The Stoneridge MirrorEye Camera Monitor System (CMS) replaces traditional rear and side-view mirrors with integrated external mounted cameras and interior mounted monitors to help give drivers a more complete view of the road and the truck’s surroundings, including common blind spots.
Springdale, Arkansas-headquartered Tyson, which operates one of the largest refrigerated trucking fleets in the United States, has been working with Novi, Michigan-based Stoneridge, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of highly engineered electrical and electronic vehicle systems, to develop and install the MirrorEye CMS on 55 company trucks. Stoneridge’s pilot project is the result of a 9 million-mile evaluation of MirrorEye, which involved driver feedback and improvements in the system.
MirrorEye is designed to improve driver vision and reduce blind spots by providing a wider field of view. It is also intended to enhance vision at night and during inclement weather.
“Installing MirrorEye is about helping drivers make better, more informed driving decisions,” said Kyle Neely, Tyson’s senior vice president of distribution. “When drivers have a more complete and real-time view of their surroundings, they’re able to do their job even better. As a carrier of choice and industry leader, we have a responsibility to improve the safety of our drivers, as well as everyone on the road.”
MirrorEye was the first camera monitor system to receive a federal exemption from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), allowing MirrorEye-equipped trucks to operate on the road with an integrated system of cameras and digital displays as an alternative to conventional mirrors.
Stoneridge continues to work closely in partnership with fleets to further advance its CMS technology and plans for MirrorEye to become part of a larger system for successive improvements in fleet risk management.
