In a bid for safer roads, the US’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ruled that all new vehicles under 10,000 pounds must be equipped with a rearview camera by May 2018.
The ruling was made to increase safety in reversing and parking and in particular to protect pedestrians. The law extends to buses and trucks too.
“Safety is our highest priority, and we are committed to protecting the most vulnerable victims of backover accidents — our children and seniors,” said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a statement. “As a father, I can only imagine how heart wrenching these types of accidents can be for families, but we hope that today’s rule will serve as a significant step toward reducing these tragic accidents.”
Some car manufacturers are further ahead on this technology than others but this new ruling will leave no excuses going further. The regulations state that the rearview cameras must provide a 10ft x 20ft field of vision for the driver.
“Rear visibility requirements will save lives, and will save many families from the heartache suffered after these tragic incidents occur,” added NHTSA Acting Administrator David Friedman. “We’re already recommending this kind of life-saving technology through our NCAP [New Car Assessment Program] program and encouraging consumers to consider it when buying cars today.”
Irish journalist writing on business, tech and engineering.
