Dearborn, Michigan – Ford has announced a new industry-first innovation, the Blind Spot Mirror, which it will launch this fall as standard equipment on the 2009 Ford Edge, to be followed by other Ford and Lincoln vehicles. The company has moved the feature’s introduction up by one year.

“Ford is committed to delivering innovative features that provide a better driving experience for the customer,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice-president, Global Product Development. “The Blind Spot Mirror is the latest example of our strategy to move fast and to be industry leaders in enhancing the ownership experience.”

The mirror is a traditional sideview mirror with a secondary convex spotter in the top outer corner, which provides a view of the driver’s blind spot. Traffic entering the blind spot on either side of the vehicle is visible in the secondary convex mirror, alerting the driver of potential danger.

Ford said that in focus group studies, nearly 76 per cent of participants said that the mirror improved their confidence while driving, and that adjustment to using the mirror was minimal.