Ford launches industry-first side mirror design minimising blind spot risk

Mumbai: Ford is stepping up efforts to address driver demands for increased visibility with an industry-first innovation, the 'Blind Spot Mirror.' The feature will be introduced before its scheduled launch by one year to launch this fall as standard equipment on the 2009 Ford Edge.Ford's Blind Sport Mirror answers customers' demands for better visibility as they change lanes or parallel park. This technology will debut on the 2009 Edge later this year and eventually will be offered on several future Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles as standard equipment.

The 'Blind Spot Mirror' is a traditional side view mirror designed with a secondary convex spotter in the top outer corner, which provides a view of the driver's blind spot. When traffic enters the driver's blind spot on either side of the vehicle, it is visible in the secondary convex mirror, alerting the driver of potential danger.

Ford's push to develop the 'Blind Spot Mirror' and migrate it across its lineup comes as a result of careful customer research, said Kelly Kohlstrand with Ford's advanced product marketing and technology planning team.

"We're committed to offering new features that address unmet customer needs," Kohlstrand said. "Customers told us that visibility is important to them and that they specifically desired a more effective outside rearview mirror."

Early drive clinics conducted by Ford show that the Blind Spot Mirror is a feature that customers want and value. Nearly 76 per cent of focus group clinic participants said the mirror improved their confidence while driving. In addition, the participants said the learning curve or adjustment to the using the 'Blind Spot Mirror' was minimal.

Ford's 'Blind Spot Mirror' provides a more seamless solution than present aftermarket offerings, as it uses one continuous glass surface and is robust to the elements. The factory-installed spotter mirror is specifically designed for vehicles, which provides an optimised field of view.

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