Hot on the heels of Mercedes- Benz’s MirrorCam comes DAF’s Digital Vision System. Two cameras located on the sides of the roof project rear-view images to a pair of screens mounted on the A-pillars. The one on the passenger side is 380mm high (the same as Mercedes’), while the driver’s one is smaller (312mm).

The system works the same way as MirrorCam and offers a similar 1.4% improvement in fuel economy, but DAF is keen to point out that this is a superior system.

“Sometimes it is best not to be the first to market,” says Borsboom. “We were able to do a lot of benchmarking.”

One area where it differs is that DAF’s cameras are electrically retractable, controlled by a button on the driver’s door. This function is only operational at very low speeds and could be useful for squeezing onto ferries.

Like MirrorCam, the lenses are heated, so they shouldn’t freeze. However, they’re mounted higher on the cab roof, which should keep them further away from road spray. They’re set deep inside the casings, too, preventing precipitation from landing on the lenses and obstructing the view.

The picture on the screens follows the back of the trailer during cornering. They also have lines on them, indicating the back of the trailer and informing the driver when it’s safe to pull in after an overtaking manoeuvre.

A unique feature is Corner View, consisting of a camera located just beneath the windscreen on the front nearside edge of the truck and a secondary screen on the nearside A-pillar. It does away with the physical mirrors, normally located above the passenger door window and the windscreen.

Having spent a day behind the wheel of a Digital Vision Systemequipped truck, I have to say I’m impressed. It certainly didn’t take long to get used to it anyway, and the Corner View is going to be a welcome addition for anyone driving in urban areas. It’s so much easier and effective to glance at this one screen, rather than at two different mirrors.

But until I get a chance to spend longer with it, including some manoeuvring and night driving, I’ll refrain from fully endorsing it.

However, I can say that DAF’s new conventional rear-view glass mirrors are superb. The new housings are slimmer, more aerodynamic, and have a large gap between the main (upper) and wide-angle (lower) sections.