The U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) has proposed a new safety regulation to help eliminate motor vehicle blind spots that can hide the presence of pedestrians.
The proposal, issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would expand the required field of view for most motor vehicles so that the driver can see directly behind him or her when the vehicle is backing up. NHTSA believes manufacturers will install rear-mounted video cameras and in-vehicle displays to meet the proposed standards.
The requirements will apply to passenger cars, pick-up trucks, minivans, low-speed vehicles and buses whose fully-loaded weight (including passengers, fuel, and cargo) is up to 10,000 pounds.
According to US DOT, 10% of new vehicles must comply with the requirements by September 2012, 40% by September 2014 and 100% by September 2014.
NHTSA estimates that an average of 292 fatalities and 18,000 injuries occur each year because of “back-over” crashes. Children and the elderly are particularly at risk: NHTSA says that about 44% of the deaths occur to children under age five and about one-third to people age 70 or older.
