Mar 1978
Blind Spot Auxiliary Truck Mirrors
1. An EIR has been submitted from a field user recommending that a "school-bus-type", front, cross-view mirror and
bracket assembly be installed on the front roadside of the CCE-IHC Paystar F5070, 71,000 GVWR, Dump Truck. The
mirror is to reduce the driver's blind spot caused by the high hoods of conventional trucks. It is a mixed blessing to add
the suggested cross-view mirror on the front of conventional cab trucks. They are fine while working and useless when
they don't. Those mirrors, when properly mounted, aimed correctly, not covered by dirt, dust, frost, or ice and
undamaged, will allow the driver to spot trouble in his forward blind spot. This leaves only the right hand side and the rear
blind spots for driver concern. The right hand west coast mirror covers some of the curbside rearward of the truck. With
some trucks, a special right hand door traffic window provides the driver with added visibility of the right curb area. Truck
manufacturer and commercial truck users are installing a right hand safety mirror, positioned horizontally above the
passengers door. In this position, the mirror glass is aimed downward. This curbside door safety mirror covers the blind
spots on the righthand side missed by the vertical curbside west coast mirror and the narrow right door traffic window.
2. The installation of these blind spot auxiliary truck mirrors on trucks, truck-tractors, and construction equipment should
be decided by each local user fleet. Especially since different users of trucks and equipment operate in a variety of
circumstances, the installation of these mirrors should not be on a fleetwide basis. If you are operating in congested
areas with a lot of people causing high accident risks, get local authority to install the mirrors and prevent accidents before
they occur. If you are operating out in the boondocks, where the risk of truck blind spots is not serious and where brush
and trails could damage your auxiliary exterior mirrors, don't install them. They'll just get knocked off and be a constant
source of maintenance.
3. In addition, don't limit the application of these mirrors only to the CCE-IHC 20 ton dump truck. These mirrors are a
safety factor for consideration on the M911 Oshkosh C-HET truck tractor, the M915 Series of AMC-CCC Family of trucks
and all other military and commercial trucks having driver visibility problems.
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