In an attempt to protect pedestrians—especially kids and the elderly—from
backover accidents, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing a new safety regulation
to get rid of the blind zones that exist behind motor vehicles. Congress
mandated the proposed rule under the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation
Safety Act of 2007. Gulbranesen, 2, was killed after his father backed
a car over him by accident in their driveway.
Under the proposed rule, the field of view for all pickup trucks, passenger
cars, buses, minivans, and low-speed autos with a gross vehicle weight
of 10,000 or greater would be expanded so that drivers would be able to
see directly in the back of the auto when its transmission is in reverse.
Auto manufacturers would likely have to install in-vehicle displays and
rear mounted video cameras to meet the proposed standards.
In order to satisfy the rule’s requirement, 10% of new autos would
have to be in compliance by September 2012. By September 2013 there would
have to be 40% compliance among outs. 100% compliance would have to be
in effect by September 2014. The NHTSA, however, is quick to point out
even when new technology has been put in place, driver attention is still
necessary.
According to NHTSA:
- About 18,000 injuries and 292 deaths take place each year because of back-over accidents.
- Kids and the elderly are especially vulnerable to backover injuries.
NHTSA is allowing for a 6-day comment period on this rulemaking. This period
starts when the Federal Register publishes the proposal.
Unfortunately, poor visibility, blind spots, and driver inattention can
cause a motorist backing out of a driveway, road, or parking space to
accidentally run over a pedestrian or a bicyclist. Even if the motorist
isn’t going at a fast speed, serious injuries and deaths can result.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, pickup trucks
and sport utility vehicles are involved in more backover accidents than
other vehicles. A larger blind spot and the fact that the motorist is
usually seated higher off the ground increases these vehicles’ backover
risk because it makes it harder for drivers to see.
U.S. DOT Proposes Rear View Visibility Rule to Protect Kids and the Elderly, NHTSA, December 3, 2010
Backover Crashes, IIHS
Related Web Resources:
Backover Infomation, Kids and Cars.org
One Child’s Death is One Too Many – Preventing Backovers in
America’s Driveways, AAA Exchange
Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007, Public Citizen
Our auto products liability law firm represents the families of kids that have been seriously injured or killed in car crashes. Our child injury lawyers would be happy to offer you a free case evaluation.
