Opel Flextreme GT/E Voltec EREV

[Dr Mordrid]

These are technically perfectly feasable, but are they legal?
And if they have to wait for legislation to change...

Camera backup imaging is already on some vehicles, particularly trucks, and you can buy and put them on aftermarket for around $100 or so.

To replace the interior mirror with an HD cam is a bit costly compared to the cost of a mirror, but the side views are another issue in that they'd also reduce drag and up mileage. The main problem there is probably State laws limiting TV's in the front seat being too broad and absolute. That said a Federal rule would supersede them, so if NHTSA generated the right piece of paper....

Just about all the automakers are working hard on anti-collision and blind spot sonar and radar and NHTSA and other nations are on board, so that's not an issue. Part of this is the move towards self-driving cars. Seems folks are intent on putting RFID chips in the roadbed and using them to let cars play KITT. The machines to embed them every meter or so in existing roads are pretty much already designed. Most likely to be used on freeways first, but it has already been demo'ed here by GM. They and Daimler have been working on it for well over a decade.

Volvo has a very interesting take on anti-collision systems. One of the hard parts of such a system is engineering the basic software, but what if nature had already done this? Well, it has in locusts who fly in groups of millions. One of Volvo's white-coats modeled the visual avoidance system of a locust in a chip and applied it to the braking system. With this rig if a collision with another vehicle or pedestrian in front of the vehicle is deemed imminent it stops itself short. Looks so far like they're going to make it work.

[VJ]

You're missing my point...
I fully agree that it can be done, but quite commonly legislation lags years behind. If the law requires you to have 3 rear view mirrors, it doesn't mean that you cannot ADD cameras for beter vision; but it means you cannot omit the mirrors. Volvo currently sells blind spot radar on their cars, but in addition to the mirrors. There have been many prototypes with cameras only in the last 10-15 years, but the lawmakers is where it always seems to stop.

[Dr Mordrid]

The current regulations require a single interior mirror, unless you're in a truck whose rear view is blocked, and a drivers side external mirror. The passenger side mirror is optional unless there is no internal mirror in which case two outside mirrors are required. But these are again under the jurisdiction of NHTSA, who can just issue a regulation change without going through the legislative process. If they issue such a rule it would have a date of implementation, and States would have to pass their conforming legislation before then or, potentially, lose Federal highway funds.