Government delays implementing backup camera requirement

Consumer Reports News: March 01, 2011 05:20 PM

The government is pushing back on implementing a critical car safety act designed to protect kids. The Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act would require the installation of backup cameras on cars, as well as fitting auto-reversing mechanisms for power windows.

Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asked Congress for a delay in requiring backup cameras in cars to allow time to review public comments and it withdrew a proposed rule to require auto-reversing mechanisms that would prevent power windows from pinching kids' arms or necks in a closing window.

Statistics show that a child is killed every other day in a non-traffic car accident. In most cases, the child is younger than four years old and often the child is backed over by a parent or caregiver who can't see the child behind the car.

In our own car tests, we've found that rear visibility is getting worse in many cars with each new redesign. The problem is especially prevalent in SUVs, which have a high beltline below the windows, which can hide even larger children. We've also noted delays in rear cameras turning on after shifting into Reverse, in some cases seven seconds after. Upon pointing this out to those manufacturers, this delay was shortened.

We've tested the blind zone behind a wide variety of vehicles, finding that the blind zone can be large enough to hide a small child up to 50 feet away.

In recent years, automakers have been adding radar and camera systems to some new cars to help alleviate the problem. We've found that the video systems work much better than the audible radar systems, which can miss some things, especially if they're moving.

The Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act would have required 10 percent of all cars to have backup cameras by 2012 and all cars to have them by September 2014.

We hope the delay in implementing the rear visibility requirement won't hold up implementation for too long and that the carmakers who have already begun installing backup cameras will continue including them in the meantime, especially in SUVs and other models that have poor rear visibility.

--Eric Evarts

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Government delays implementing backup camera requirement

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