The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a final rule requiring all vehicles under 10,000 pounds, including buses and trucks, manufactured on or after May 1, 2018, to come equipped with rear visibility technology that expands the field of view to enable the driver to detect areas behind the vehicle to reduce death and injury resulting from backover incidents.
The field of view must include a 10-foot by 20-foot zone directly behind the vehicle. The system must also meet other requirements including image size, linger time, response time, durability and deactivation, according to NHTSA.
“Safety is our highest priority, and we are committed to protecting the most vulnerable victims of backover accidents—our children and seniors,” says U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “As a father, I can only imagine how heart wrenching these types of accidents can be for families, but we hope that today’s rule will serve as a significant step toward reducing these tragic accidents.”
On average, there are 210 fatalities and 15,000 injuries per year caused by backover crashes, NHTSA reports. Children under five years old account for 31 percent of backover fatalities each year, while adults 70 years of age and older account for 26 percent.
For a full copy of the rule from NHTSA, click here.
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