Citing accidents, MTA says it's going to experiment with side e-mirrors on buses
NEW YORK -- The MTA says it's going to experiment with a digital replacement for the large side mirrors on its buses.
The agency said that's because the large mirrors were involved in approximately 1,800 accidents last year.
"It turns out that 25% of all of our bus collisions each year involve a mirror," said Richard Davey, president of New York City Transit. "It's the large mirrors that you see that are hitting street poles, other cars, these dining structures that are now in our right of way. It's driving up our maintenance costs. It's driving up our legal settlements."
So the MTA is rolling out a pilot program to use e-mirrors in some buses, using essentially similar technology as rear-view cameras.
Fahey said not only does the agency hope the e-mirrors will mean safer rides, but also that they will create a safer space for bus drivers.
"This would also, by the way, unlock our ability, we believe, to bring the full cockpit, if you will, across the driver's space in order to keep them fully secure and away from any assault," Davey added.