Japan Approves Mirrorless Cars

In a bid to increase driving safety and reduce emission, Japan has beat other countries to approve the use of live videos feeds to replace the side and rear views mirrors in cars. The move follows an approval in 2015 by the UN's World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations for video replacements meeting certain specifications.

Suppliers are looking to capitalize on the new rules. A company called Ichikoh is developing systems it plans to sell to automakers. "It's a really new segment with higher content, and that means higher revenue opportunities," says Ichikoh CEO Ali Ordoobadi.

It's expected that more governments will begin to approve replacing mirrors with live video feed in the near future. Japan beat Europe to the punch, which could give its automakers an advantage, but the EU is expected to follow suit this year, followed by the US in 2018. China, too, will likely revise its laws in the coming years.

The trick, then, will be educating drivers about the proper use of their new cameras.