A new recommendation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests all cars should carry rear-view cameras by 2014.
The US Department of Transportation has welcomed the recommendation, and is proposing that the new regulation be made binding.
“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 in a statement. “The changes we are proposing today will help drivers see into those blind zones directly behind vehicles to make sure it is safe to back up.”
The new report says installing such cameras will help reduce blind spots, and improve safety. The NHTSA says over 290 people die each year as a result of cars backing into areas where they either cannot see or have ignored.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
