U.S. Government Proposes Mandatory Backup Cameras
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") has proposed making backup cameras mandatory in new vehicles. The proposed safety measure is aimed at reducing accidents caused when vehicles are in reverse. Each year, hundreds of people are killed and more than ten thousand are injured occur when vehicles are traveling in a reverse direction.
Rear view cameras help minimize blind spots and greatly improve rear visibility. They can help prevent many senseless and tragic accidents caused when vehicles are in reverse. Small children are particularly vulnerable in back up accidents. According to the NHTSA, on average, 292 people are killed each year in these accidents, with nearly fifty percent of the fatalities involving young children. On average, 1/3 of the fatalities involve seniors 70 years of age or older.
To meet the proposed standard, automakers would have to install rear-mounted video cameras and camera displays inside vehicles. The measure would apply to all new cars, pickup trucks, SUVs, minivans, vans, and busses sold in the U.S. with gross vehicle weights under 10,000 pounds. If the proposal is approved, automakers would need to have ten percent of their vehicles in compliance by September 2012; 40 percent by September, 2013; and 100 percent by September 2014.
Rear view cameras are a valuable safety feature. Car insurance companies would likely support the measure, as rear view cameras reduce the number of accidents and subsequent claims. Most cars, trucks, and SUVs that cost more than $20,000, offer a rear view camera as an optional feature. Back up camera systems typically cost more than $1,000 but are usually combined with other options such as a navigation system into a package. Consumers can also purchase their own back up camera systems and have them installed.
The NHTSA will provide a 60–day comment period for the proposed regulation, once it is published in the Federal Register, which is the official journal of the U.S. Federal Government and provides public notices from government agencies. If the NHTSA proposal is passed into law, it is a cost that will be passed onto consumers. Automakers would have to spend billions of dollars to equip all new cars built with rear view camera systems. The cost would likely have a significant impact on the price of new compact and economy cars.
