Most of the vehicle safety features made mandatory by lawmakers, such as seat-belts and airbags, provide protection to those inside the vehicle. But in a move to protect those outside the vehicle, specifically, in the blind spot behind the vehicle, the US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a proposed rule requiring rear view cameras to be installed in all new vehicles under 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) in the US from May, 2018.
According to the NHTSA, every year in the US there are an average of 210 fatalities and 15,000 injuries caused by a vehicle backing over someone. Children under five account for 31 percent of fatalities, with adults over 70 accounting for 26 percent. The efficacy of rear view cameras in reducing the risk of such accidents has long been recognized, and many auto manufacturers have already made such technology standard equipment on many models.
With the new rule to apply to all new vehicles weighing under 10,000 lb (4,536 kg), it will cover passenger cars, SUVs, buses and light trucks. It also sets a minimum field of view for rear view cameras, which must include a 10-ft (3 m) by 20-ft (6 m) zone directly behind the vehicle. However, instead of setting the minimum size for the in-vehicle display or dictating its placement, the NHTSA is adopting a minimum image size requirement – in other words, how large displayed objects appear to the driver.
The NHTSA expects the new rule, which will be final in 60 days of the March 31st announcement, will save 58 to 69 lives each year once the entire on-road vehicle fleet is equipped with systems that meet the specifications outlined.
Source: NHTSA
In our neck of the woods, new laws are coming in such that no new car can be sold that does not have stability control, brake force distribution and ABS.
The next one around the corner might just be the law that dictates the minimum number of airbags and where.
If everyone has to get on board to sell product they can't sell safety as an option, or offer it only on the 'premium' brands, as if to say the lives of people that earn less are worth less.
Good point. Not only is it necessary to cover the rear of the vehicle, but also the side, especially for commercial vehicles when entering a main road at a shallow angle. The rear view mirror does not exist and the side mirrors all too often do not cover the main road enough to let the driver know when it is safe to exit the side road.
The need for better all-round visibility on large vehicles is all the more important for vehicles whose base country drives on the opposite side of the road e.g. Mainland European vehicles driving in the U.K. and vice versa.
Also of note is the property damage (not mentioned by either article) that is caused yearly by people who have trouble reading their mirrors while backing up.