411: U.S. to Require that New Cars Have Rearview Cameras

Recently, we posted a blog on this site in which we talked about an innovative feature that will be commonplace among cars of the not-so-distant future, namely a feature that will enable vehicles to “communicate” with one another. The purpose of this upcoming safety tool will be to enhance commuter safety by significantly reducing the number of auto accidents due to driver error.

It seems as though the U.S. government has made another bold move in the direction of commuter safety; by May of 2018, all new cars in the U.S. will be required to have rear view cameras, a move that the NHTSA says will save scores of lives each year. According to this article from USA Today, the new rule being implemented by the U.S. government would start to be phased in on May 1 of 2016 and be at 100% implementation by May 1 of 2018, just over four years from now.

This news is of particular interest to our experienced personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Aronberg & Aronberg because we believe that standard rear view cameras in vehicles will noticeably reduce the number of injuries sustained by individuals who are hurt by people reversing their car in a negligent manner. We typically see these injuries occurring in parking lots, outside of driveways, near road construction zones, etc.

Victims of these types of crashes are both motorists and pedestrians. Among the pedestrians who fall victims to these types of accidents are, more often than not, young children and elderly individuals who are unable to quickly more away from the danger zone behind a reversing vehicle. According to Anthony Foxx, the U.S. Transportation Secretary, “we are committed to protecting the most vulnerable victims of backover accidents — our children and seniors. As a father, I can only imagine how heart wrenching these types of accidents can be for families.”

Because cars in reverse typically move at significantly lower speeds than cars driving ahead, the injuries caused by such reversals are typically classified as “low-speed.” This form of injury may not appear devastating, but it can be just as traumatic and harmful as injuries caused by speeding vehicles, as we explored in this blog post from last year.

While more specifics about the impending rule are forthcoming, as of now we do know that motor vehicles with a weight under 10,000 lbs. will be required to come com equipped with the rear view cameras. (This will include buses, commercial trucks, etc.) Even when the new rear view cameras are standard, and especially until that point, individuals will continue to be injured by people reversing their motor vehicles in a negligent manner.

If you or a loved one has sustained an injury or injuries of any kind due to the wrongdoing of another, please contact our dedicated personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Aronberg & Aronberg. To schedule a free consultation, call us at 561-266-9191 or email us at daronberg@build.simple.biz.

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