Backup Cameras For ALL Cars Starting in 2018
Starting in 2018, all US cars will be equipped with backup cameras.
Backup Camera Mandate
It’s scary to hear about accidents where children are hit by vehicles backing out of a driveway or from a parking space. While sometimes these incidents are caused by the driver’s failure to pay attention to what is behind him, in most cases it is a matter of just not having enough visibility. There is definitely a need for more sophisticated equipment in order to reduce the numbers of injuries that occur while a driver is backing up. It’s for this reason that the NHTSA recently announced that they are requiring backup cameras on all new cars starting in 2018.
As we look toward technology for better methods to prevent drivers from hitting children or obstructions when backing up, it’s safe to say onboard cameras are much better at this task than rear-view mirrors or even backup sensors.
Many of the latest cars, trucks, and crossover vehicles already include these cameras, but at the present time the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has repeatedly delayed formalizing rules for their mandatory use. This is in spite of the fact both Congress and President Bush authorized this legislation seven years ago in 2007! Even more alarming is the fact that NHTSA itself estimated dashboard cameras could easily save as many as 200 lives every year. This estimate includes a substantial number of children younger than age five who are accidentally run over by motorists who are backing up.
Study Results
A recent study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has confirmed that cameras appear to offer the most promising technology that is necessary in order to reduce the injuries and fatalities that occur with this type of crash.
During the course of the study, the IIHS engaged the services of volunteers who had the task of checking how effective dashboard cameras were during a series of tests performed in an empty parking lot. They compared the results to vehicles that had no warning systems and those with electronic sensors that used sonar or radar in order to detect the presence of an obstruction and issued warning beeps to the driver. The study showed vehicles that had backup cameras instead of just sensors reduced the driver’s blind field of vision by an average of 90 percent!
NHTSA also notes that approximately 292 people lose their lives every year in backup accidents—this figure includes 100 children who have not yet reached their fifth birthdays. In addition, there are another 18,000 who are injured in these accidents each and every year. The agency believes the use of cameras could reduce the death rate to somewhere in the range of 95-112 annually while also preventing 8,374 injuries.
The White House currently has a proposal from the NHTSA for review, and it is hoped the regulations will be finalized by January 2015. This would allow enough time to begin implementing the new technology on even 2017 model-year motor vehicles.
Category: In The News
