Surround-view requirements, pedestrians, bicyclists – with traffic getting ever more congested, bus drivers are faced with unprecedented challenges. Road users, as of late also including e-scooter riders, are often unaware that they are entering the bus hazard zone, which places particular stress on the bus driver.
The Future of Vision
In 2018 MEKRA Lang set the stage for the future of indirect vision by introducing its Digital VisionSystem (DVS). It has already been successfully launched for use in trucks and features innovative camera modules with ergonomically positioned monitors replacing traditional exterior mirror systems. As a next step, MEKRA LANG will further improve road safety with digital vision systems for buses.
Combined with additional front cameras, the Digital VisionSystem fulfills the requirements of bus-specific regulations, such as the German and Spanish school bus regulations.
Safety Solutions for City Traffic
Thanks to advanced radar technology, the new turn assist system AAS 1312 detects moving road users in a 12m x 6m blind spot area on the passenger’s side when the vehicle is making a right turn. The AAS has been available for retrofitting purposes since April 2019. It is highly dependable, has received general operating approval (ABE) in Germany, and finished first in a comparative test performed by the German automobile association ADAC. It helps to detect pedestrians in inner-city traffic, particularly when combined with the blind spot assistant, as drivers will be alerted to dangerous situations via timely audio-visual alarms.
A classic traffic vision solution is provided by MEKRA Lang’s newest mirror generation, the city bus mirror system 1041/1042.
Critical Support for Drivers
In areas where mirror systems alone are unable to provide sufficient vision, MEKRA Lang’s Surround-View System enhances visibility around the vehicle and complements the mirror systems perfectly. Highly customizable configurations produce a system that provides 360° vision and uses various vehicle signal triggers to respond effectively to different traffic situations, e.g. switching to the side view camera when an alarm is triggered by the turn assist system, or automatic activation of the full rear-view camera image when backing up.