WASHINGTON, D.C. — The US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has granted Bendix a two-year exemption extension, allowing its safety-related cameras to continue to be mounted on the truck’s windshield.

The exemption was granted Nov. 18 and will run through to Nov. 17, 2017.

This allows fleets to continue using and installing Bendix’s Wingman Fusion collision mitigation system and AutoVue lane departure warning system.

The FMCSA prohibits the placement on windshields of devices that can obstruct a driver’s field of view, including antennas or transponders that are mounted at the top of a windshield. It requires these to be located outside the area swept by the windshield wipers.

The exemption covering the camera component of Wingman Fusion and AutoVue grants carriers the ability to mount sensors no larger than two inches by 3.5 inches within that area, though not more than two inches below its upper edge and outside the driver’s sight lines to the road, highway signs and signals.

“This extension means Bendix customers can continue to rest assured that a properly mounted Wingman Fusion or AutoVue camera will not constitute a violation, which may affect a fleet’s CSA BASIC score during roadside inspections,” said Fred Andersky, Bendix director of customer solutions – Controls Group. “As use of these types of driver assistance technologies continue to grow, it is possible this exemption could become permanent before Bendix would seek another extension.”