Perhaps you’ve driven a giant RV or large truck with a rear camera before. Though they take a little getting used to, they really seem to widen a person’s field of vision in the rear without the passenger having to stand out in the street directing the driver using shouting and primitive hand signals. But these cameras were originally placed so that the driver could park and not back into trees. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a whole different idea for their use, child and elder safety.

The agency says that nearly 300 people are killed and 18,000 injured each year because they’ve been backed over, according to their data. Most of these happen in driveways and parking lots. Nearly half the deaths involve children under age 5, but back-over accidents also affect the elderly. That means that more than 50 people every day suffer serious personal injuries because drivers back over them.

To address this serious issue, the NHTSA has harkened back to a bill that was passed by congress relatively recently called The Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush. Two-year old Cameron Gulbransen was killed when his father accidentally struck him while backing his SUV in the family’s driveway.

New Standards

Congress in 2008 set in motion the safety upgrades in response to dozens of accidents in which children were backed over. At issue in particular were large blind zones in large sport utility vehicles and pickups.

The Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007 requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to research auto safety issues to which children are especially vulnerable. Under the Act the DOT is specifically directed on these safety issues:

• Auto-reverse for power windows:Initiate rulemaking to consider issuing or amending Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to require that power window mechanisms be equipped with an automatic reverse feature activated if the window’s path is obstructed
• Blind zones:Initiate rulemaking to consider issuing or amending Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to reduce a vehicle’s “blind zone,” by establishing requirements for different types of motor vehicles that could be met through the integration of additional mirrors, back-up cameras, sensors or other technologies
• Brake transmission shift interlock:Require that all vehicles all vehicles manufactured after September 1, 2010 and equipped with an automatic transmission system using a ‘park’ position also be equipped with a system that prevents the vehicle from being shifted out of ‘park’ unless the brake pedal is depressed

In addition, the Act requires that NHTSA for the first time establish a database that stores information about injuries and fatalities that occur in non-traffic and non-crash related situations. Specifically, the Act directs NHTSA to gather information about:

• The make and model and year of the vehicle involved
• The number and type of injuries or fatalities
• Potential causes of the injuries or fatalities

The new requirements from the Transportation Department are intended to improve rear visibility in cars by the 2014 model year. Most carmakers would comply by installing rear-mounted video cameras and in-vehicle displays. The government estimated that video systems would add about $200 to the cost of each new vehicle.

The agency estimated that the requirements annually could save 95 to 112 lives and prevent more than 7,000 injuries. In about 70% of the cases, a family member is responsible for the death, said Janette Fennell, president of Kids and Cars, a Kansas-based safety group.

“There is no more tragic accident than for a parent or caregiver to back out of a garage or driveway and kill or injure an undetected child playing behind the vehicle,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. He said the changes would “help drivers see into those blind zones directly behind vehicles to make sure it is safe to back up.”

Does the Auto Industry Support This?

After a public comment period, the NHTSA expects the proposal to be completed next year. Under the plan, 10% of the total fleet of vehicles sold in the United States will need to meet the standards by the 2012 model year, followed by 40% in 2013 and all new vehicles by 2014.

The rules will apply to all passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, minivans and other vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds. Under the plan, test objects would need to be visible in an area 20 feet behind the vehicle and about 5 feet to either side of the vehicle’s center.

The government estimated the price tag on the new requirements would be around about $1.9 billion to $2.7 billion. Cha-ching!

So what do automakers think of this?

Industry spokespeople have said they were reviewing the proposal but were supportive of efforts to keep children safe. It is unknown the amount of money they spent to lobby against the bill, but since it passed, probably not much.

The reason for the lack of resistance is that the expense is easily passed to the consumer, regardless of the fact that all cars, SUVs, and trucks are going to have on board computers telling people things such as the weather and where to go. Most likely that is part of the delay. Technology needed to become standardized. But don’t worry, this is a good thing.

“Many people have told me that once they get a camera in their car, they’ll never drive a car without it,” said Bill Nelson of Dix Hills, N.Y., whose 16-month-old son, Alec, was killed in 2004 in a backover accident. “Years from now, everybody will be used to it, and it will be a great safety device for people to avoid collisions with anything.”

Seattle Car Accident Lawyer Protects Victims Rights

We applaud the move by the NHTSA and glad that the car industry isn’t putting up as much of a stink as they have in the past regarding other life-saving safety standards. We have covered too many tragic stories of both children and elderly people suffering personally injuries and wrongful death due to back-over accidents.

Phillips Webster represents families of victims who have been wrongfully killed in Washington State. They are skilled attorneys in wrongful death lawsuits and personal injury lawsuits with years of experience that they will use to  assure the you get the compensation you deserve.

Call Phillips Webster today for a free consultation.

Learn More About:

• Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
• Wrongful Death Settlements
• Seattle Car Accident Attorneys