American Road Products, Inc. (ARPI), driving safety advocate and developer of the patented ReverseGUARD® rear monitoring and detection system, recently secured several new agreements with municipalities and commercial fleets to equip their vehicles with the company's 360° OmniVue® camera systems to eliminate blind spots. The company has recently announced a targeted initiative to allow select 12-volt retail outlets in North America to offer the next-generation product to consumers. The additional channel development will enable ARPI to grow its customer base and bring trusted safety and accident protection solutions to passenger cars, SUVs, trucks, recreational vehicles and local business fleets.
"We have achieved solid market share in the fleet and commercial sectors. Our commercial customers recognize the potential liability, costs and loss of productivity that can come from accidents," said Stephen Witt, ARPI president. "However, these same concerns are felt and experienced by everyday drivers as well. It is our goal to bring our advanced camera technology platform to the retail sector to help drivers prevent accidents, injury and fatalities. We are actively seeking select 12-volt specialty retailers that have qualified installation expertise and want to expand their safety category sales."
The passenger vehicle 360° OmniVue camera system utilizes the latest in SVM (Surround View Monitoring) technology, consisting of four high-definition, 180-degree wide-angle cameras installed around the vehicle: one under each side mirror, one in front of the vehicle and one behind. The system’s powerful processor merges and stitches the images from each camera together to create a flat, top-down view of the vehicle’s surroundings in real time. With industry standard connections, the 360° OmniVue connects directly to any aftermarket in-vehicle monitor or screen-based radio, or to a monitor-equipped factory radio using a third-party video interface.
In addition to the benefits of the all-round, top-down view, the 360° OmniVue automatically shows a high-definition rear view with grid lines when the vehicle is put into reverse gear, as well as left and right blind spots when the appropriate turn signal is activated. It can also use the front camera to show a 180-degree view when the vehicle is entering a street with no other vehicles in direct view.
"It was important to us to offer a product that absolutely eliminates blind spots on vehicles from tractor trailers and commercial trucks to subcompacts,” added Witt. “With its OEM-grade (TS16949) specifications, the 360° OmniVue protects vehicles from damage and increases driver awareness of what is around the vehicle. We feel it is an ideal product for mobile electronics specialist retailers, and helps them meet a vital safety need with their customers as more and more attention is being paid to the dangers of backover accidents and collisions by carmakers and the media.”
APRI will be demonstrating the 360° OmniVue camera system at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, Nov. 3-6, at booth #15207.
American Road Products is also supporting authorized retailers with training, special purchasing and merchandising programs. Retailers interested in becoming an American Road Products retailer can call (888) 918-8800, or email Ryan Uchida at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Holly Hill, FL – October 17, 2023 – Install Bay® by Metra Electronics® is expanding its comprehensive collection of professional 12volt installation products with new single-zone and three-zone controllers with Bluetooth® wireless technology, micro line output converters, replacement socket kits in various sizes, connectors, fuse holders, and much more. These products are designed using the best available materials to ensure ease of use and years of reliability. They will be displayed from October 31 through November 3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Metra's main SEMA Show booth will be #10539 in the North Hall, and its off-roading and powersports products will be on display at booth #60031 in the West Hall.

Single Zone Controller with Bluetooth® Wireless Technology and Remote

The IBBTR18 is an easy-to-install controller with Bluetooth® wireless technology and a wireless remote that puts audio controls at a user's fingertips. It is equipped with built-in connectivity and auxiliary input, and its compact size makes it easy to conceal. A high-quality internal digital signal processor produces lossless audio output to the sound system. The controller is small enough to mount to a steering wheel easily and is rated IPX7, making it ideal for marine and powersports applications.

3-Zone Controller with Bluetooth® Wireless Technology

The IBBTR19 controller shares the same features as the IBBTR18, but it allows users to control the volume independently for three zones or simultaneously on the primary setting. An LED backlight on the remote indicates which zone is active. The controller is equipped with built-in connectivity with Bluetooth® technology and auxiliary input. This 3-zone controller supports APTX-HD, APTX, APTX-X Low Latency, SBC, and ACC audio formats.

Micro Line Output Converters

Install Bay will introduce two ultra-compact LOCs at Metra's SEMA booth; a 2-channel, the IBMLOC2, and a 4-channel, the IBMLOC4. These new micro LOCs allow car audio installers to add an amplifier to nearly any radio, so their customers can experience true sound accuracy at any volume level with all the highs and lows of the original audio. Unlike traditional LOCs, these devices are designed without inductors to deliver a flat 20Hz-20kHz frequency response at all volume levels. Using factory speaker wires, these innovative micro LOCs automatically convert the speaker signal into both an RCA signal and a 100-milli-amp 12-volt remote wire using DC offset. With the ability to turn on multiple amplifiers, their 12-volt remote wires deliver plenty of power without requiring switched 12-volt power sources. These LOCs accept up to 80 watts (20 volts) of input signal and deliver up to 10-volt output signal. The OEM smart radios in today's vehicles have a built-in protection circuit that will shut off or distort audio on one or more channels if the load on the OEM radio exceeds a specific impedance range. These LOCs feature built-in 60-ohm load resistors for those OE radios.

Replacement Sockets

An assortment of convenient new 6-point socket replacement packs will be of interest to SEMA attendees who are familiar with the frustration of misplacing their sockets. These sockets will come in a wide range of sizes, including 7mm, 8mm, and 10mm in 3/8 drive or 1/4 drive. Each size has short or deep options and will be available in 5-packs. Install Bay will also offer 5-packs of magnetic 1/4 sockets in the same size and replacement #2 Phillips bits.

With the convenience of these replacement sockets and Phillips bits, installers will avoid the hassle of incomplete tool sets or searching for missing components while completing a project.

Metra's SEMA booth will also include various cables from The Install Bay, a 20-piece radio removal tool set, and installation accessories such as fuse holders, connectors, spooled wire, and more. Additional product information is available at theInstallBay.com.

The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by Metra Electronics is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

At Metra, 12volt installation and integration is our passion. We strive to continuously offer the highest quality products to meet the fluctuating technological challenges of the automotive world. We actively listen to our customers’ requests and invest resources in developing the highest quality dash kit and harness solutions. We make dash kits for more vehicle applications than anyone else in the world. That’s why we’ve been known as “The Installer’s Choice” for 75+ years. Our other brands include: Axxess®, T-SPEC®, The Install Bay®, Heise LED Lighting Systems®, iBEAM Vehicle Safety Systems®, Shuriken High Performance Batteries®, Raptor®, Ballistic®, AmmoTenna®, Metra PowerSports®, Saddle Tramp®, Metra Marine®, Daytona Lights®, and Tsunami®. For ordering information and pricing, visit Metra Electronics online at MetraOnline.com or call 386-257-2956.