I know a person that hit a low hanging sign relying on her backup camera
Via Detroit FREEP
Federal regulators will require automakers to make rearview cameras standard on all cars and light-duty trucks by May 2018.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the rule Monday that will mandate rear visibility technology in all new vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds and made on or after May 1, 2018. The cameras, which project their view onto a dash-mounted screen, must give the driver a 10-foot-by-20-foot field of view directly behind the vehicle.
The rule is not a major stretch from what is already in the works. The agency acknowledged that 73% of the vehicles to be covered by the rule already are expected to have rearview video systems by 2018. By requiring all vehicles to be equipped with them, NHTSA estimated automakers can prevent between 13 and 15 deaths and as many as 1,300 injuries annually.
“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. “We’re already recommending this kind of life-saving technology … and encouraging consumers to consider it when buying cars today.”