A ruling Monday by the government makes inclusion of backup cameras in new vehicles mandatory by the year 2018.
After years of delays, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finally issued a ruling saying that a rear view system must show the driver a view of the area 10 feet by 20 feet directly behind the car. These rear view systems must be included in cars by May 1, 2018.
About 73 percent of cars are already on track to include backup cameras by 2018, but by making the systems mandatory on all cars and light trucks, an estimated 13 to 15 deaths and 1,300 injuries a year may be prevented.
The backup camera systems must also meet other requirements for image size, linger time, response time, durability, and deactivation.
“Rear visibility requirements will save lives, and will save many families from the heartache suffered after these tragic incidents occur,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator David Friedman.
The ruling by the fed came the day before a lawsuit was to be heard in court against the government for delaying a law passed in 2008 to make backup cameras mandatory. The suit was filed in September.
The original law, called the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, directed the DOT to issue within three years a safety standard requiring improved rear visibility in new consumer vehicles. But the government on four separate occasions from 2011 to 2013 delayed the ruling.
No comments:
Post a Comment