The Real Reason New Cars are Now Required to Have Backup Cameras
October 19, 2002 will never be forgotten by pediatrician, Dr. Greg Gulbransen and his family. It was the night he accidentally backed over his two-year old son, Cameron.
Dr. Gulbransen’s driving was not the issue. He was sober and driving slowly. Checking his rear view and side mirrors and looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was nearby, he put his car in reverse.
Then the unthinkable happened, and there was absolutely nothing Dr. Gulbransen could have done differently to save the life of his toddler. Cameron had crawled underneath the vehicle.
Horrified and outraged, Dr. Gulbransen couldn’t mourn and let it go. Instead, he took action. It would take 16 years, but the physician was determined to make new cars safer for everyone, especially children.
The 2008 Backup Camera Legislative Approval
For years, Congress had regulation for better rear visibility in new cars under consideration, but it went nowhere. In 2008, that changed when Congress signed the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act.
Then President George W. Bush ordered the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency (NHTSA) to issue a standard by 2011 to improve the driver’s ability to detect pedestrians behind their vehicles.
But the proposed standard still stalled.
When Did Backup Cameras in Cars Become Standard?
It would take a coalition of advocacy groups filing a lawsuit against the US Department of Transportation to get the rule issued, and it did.
On May 1, 2018, the inspired regulation officially became law. As Dr. Gulbransen said, “It’s a bittersweet day because this rule should have been in place many years ago.
Though his own life was short, my son Cameron inspired a regulation that will save the lives of countless others.
Other Advantages of Backup Cameras in New Cars
With roughly 200 people killed each year from back over accidents and 12,000 more injured, the backup camera law of 2018 certainly will save lives, but it has other advantages as well.
While these cameras help to eliminate blind spots, they also help you to safely and quickly park your car.
With a backup camera, drivers have a much clearer and more accurate view of what’s behind the vehicle.
And, most backup systems have a warning tone that alerts you if you get too close to another car or object. Color backup systems display green, yellow, and red, to alert you on how close you are to an object.
On-screen guidelines also show you two parallel lines that help you into and out of parking spaces. Some systems even display a middle line so you can center the vehicle in the parking space.
Towing a trailer? A backup camera is especially helpful because you get a closeup view of the trailer and its lineup with the hitch.
Still, Backup Cameras Aren’t Perfect
No surprise there, nothing in life is! Poor image quality is one problem, but usually, it’s easily solved. Simply clean the camera mounted on the back of the vehicle.
If your car has a wireless system, you could experience interference or a pairing problem when the camera is in operation.
These are small problems compared with the tremendous amount of safety they offer. However, perhaps the biggest problem with backup cameras is how little drivers use them.
A study by the University of Massachusetts found that only 20% of drivers in their study actually used their rearview monitors when backing up.
Of that group, 46% only looked at the monitor when the warning alarm sounded. Yikes! Solving this problem doesn’t require money or time. It requires a commitment to safety for others.
Here at Joe Bowman Auto Plaza in Harrisonburg, VA, we urge all drivers to use their backup cameras to help prevent accidents and injuries. Responsible driving makes the road a safer place.
