how does taking your eyes off the road help?
The camera is seeing farther into the infra red than you can. It is seeing heat. Warm things like people and deer show up real good even though they are too far away for your headlights to show them up.
When you look away from your road you are looking at a live black and white picture of the road. The picture may show things you can't see by yourself.
The manufacturer says it should be used the same as you use a rear view mirror. You glance at it and then look back at the road, glance, look, glance, look.
On the page
http://www.thermal-eye.com/learnmore/looking.html They have pictures you can mouse over to compare what the eye sees vs. what the camera sees.
How Raytheon says it is:
Drivers can:
"See three to five times farther than regular car headlights
Increase reaction time to avoid objects in front of the car
See beyond the glare of oncoming headlights
Clearly identify potential road hazards such as joggers, pedestrians, wildlife"