By 2018, backup cameras will be standard on every new car sold in the U.S. More than anything, the new ruling from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration means luxury automakers can no longer charge thousands of dollars for the equivalent of a cheap Skype webcam.
While not as life-changing as the government's 2012 mandate for stability control, backup cameras have so permeated our roads that more than half of all 2014 model-year cars have them. The ruling, first proposed in 2010 after Congress passed a law requiring a full review of backup cameras in 2008, requires rear-view cameras in all cars and light-duty trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 10,000 pounds by May 2018. Small automakers like Ferrari and Bentley are exempt for the initial phase-in—10 percent of an automaker's lineup must have backup cameras if they are built after May 2016, and 40 percent after May 2017—but everyone has to play along for the 2019 model year.
According to federal crash statistics, the NHTSA estimates that between 58 and 69 lives could be saved each year if backup cameras were on every car. About 210 people die each year, primarily toddlers and elderly adults, after being struck by reversing cars and another 15,000 are injured. The agency says automakers will spend up to $45 per car to install cameras on models that already have video displays and up to $142 per car for those without any screens. If the math is right, automakers will spend a total of between $546 million and $924 million extra to fit the cameras, to which they will pass right on to customers.
Since this is a federal law, and because the NHTSA has lots of tables alleging success in various tests, automakers must standardize their camera systems. That doesn't mean prohibiting overlay icons, surround-view cameras, or multiple viewing angles. It does, however, establish a standard viewing angle and mandates that a color image, whether in a rear-view mirror or any screen in the car, shows up within two seconds of selecting reverse. Somewhat oddly, the camera must be able to work within six seconds after the driver opens the door and selects reverse, which will no doubt help getaway bank robbers who don't want to hurt old people. Ultrasonic parking sensors are not part of the ruling.
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We won't touch upon the other safety mandates and design trends that have given most new cars the outward visibility of an Abrams tank, but there's no question backup cameras have saved us from scratches while parallel parking and afforded us wider-angle views than we'd normally see in crowded lots. And to be honest, we'll be glad to not stare blankly at a giant screen when reversing because we didn't order BMW's fourth option package.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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