Rear View Cameras - Mandatory!

[nissangirl74]

300 people die each year from back-up accidents. To help alleviate the problem, the NHTSA is trying to make it mandatory for all vehicles to come equipped with a rear-view camera. Your thoughts?

http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-b ... and+Blogs)

[Dattebayo]

lol

Crap. This should only be mandatory for handicapped people that are limited from turning around and looking. Gadgets should not make up for what they're supposed to teach you in driver's ed.

[themadscientist]

lol
Gadgets should not make up for what they're supposed to teach you in driver's ed.

I are offended at your assertion sir!

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

lol

Crap. This should only be mandatory for handicapped people that are limited from turning around and looking. Gadgets should not make up for what they're supposed to teach you in driver's ed.

No, they certainly help quite a bit. Especially pulling out of blind alleys and driveways. Big vehicles benefit a lot more so than smaller cars. They help a lot when maneuvering in tight spaces too.
I'm neither for or against this.
One, it is an effective safety device...two it's yet another value-added piece of tech on an already bloated platform.

[Jesda]

lol
Gadgets should not make up for what they're supposed to teach you in driver's ed.

I are offended at your assertion sir!

NICE!

[krash]

I think they should stop making things that let non-drivers drive.

[Dattebayo]

No, they certainly help quite a bit. Especially pulling out of blind alleys and driveways.

I fail to see how it's better then just putting your arm over the passenger seat and looking over and back.

Maybe we should just keep the spacially challenged off the road. How about that?

[krash]

Maybe we should just keep the spacially challenged off the road. How about that?

THIS.

But actually (unfortunately), if you're in a big truck or something, it DOES help with parking. I don't think car's need them, but when you're parallel parking an Avalanche in DC, you're going to want that stupid camera.

the sensors that tell you someone is behind you? no. The sensors that tell you that your straying out of your lane? no. Learn how to drive.

[Dattebayo]

if you're in a big truck or something, it DOES help with parking. I don't think car's need them, but when you're parallel parking an Avalanche in DC, you're going to want that stupid camera.

I used to drive a big truck in DC, never needed it. Even when I had to parallel in Adams Morgan or on M street.

[Crazyirish]

300 people die each year from back-up accidents.

Running with scissors claims more lives than that. Sounds like job justification to me.

[Jesda]

Let's mandate everything into everything. PROBLEM SOLVED.

[MinisterofDOOM]

My favorite part of this is the way the NHTSA waited until rearview camera tech was almost ubiquitous before mandating it. So, really, they've barely changed anything, but now they get all the credit for accidents prevented.

Let's mandate everything into everything. PROBLEM SOLVED.

Mandate mandates!

[krash]

if you're in a big truck or something, it DOES help with parking. I don't think car's need them, but when you're parallel parking an Avalanche in DC, you're going to want that stupid camera.

I used to drive a big truck in DC, never needed it. Even when I had to parallel in Adams Morgan or on M street.

Yea but that was your truck. Not some rich dude's thats giving you your gas money for the week.

[Rev_D21]

How about making the a** end of cars smaller ala the 1980s? People could see then! These days cars rear ends are jacked to the sky and topped off with a tiny rear window, no wonder people can't see out the back anymore?

[MinisterofDOOM]

Whiny whiners are whiny.

I learned to drive in a Ram 1500. My first car was an '84 DeVille. I never hit a damn thing in either of them. Never had a problem parallel parking. Never had a problem knowing where the corners of my car were. Granted, both of those cars actually HAD corners, unlike the homogenous blobulations everyone drives these days, but that's semantic.

Learn to drive or get off the road. Stop using technology to support your ineptitude.

(This post is not directed at Krash)

[Dattebayo]

Yea but that was your truck. Not some rich dude's thats giving you your gas money for the week.

Nope. It was some rich dude's who was giving me money to drive his truck. And I had to go to the shop to get gas, we had our own pump.

[breadbox]

I bet the Rear-view camera lobby is behind this.

[Bubba1]

I think it's stupid. the DOT would rather impose more gimmicks, that needlessly add cost, complexity and weight to cars instead of addressing the root cause of the accidents which is poorly trained, careless drivers.
Just because a car has a rear view camera installed, does not mean an idiot behind the wheel is going to use it.

[Solar_Runner]

Once again, big government mandating stuff they have no business too. Make the tech available, let those who need/want it choose it.

I don't want it, I don't need it and I do NOT want to pay for it.

Remember, America is (was) the land of the free. Stop trying to ram stuff down my throat.

/rant

[krimsonviper]

^ What that guy said. This is just conveniently adding to the taxes we have to pay on buying a vehicle, let alone letting more idiots on the road. What happens when someone who is used to having this tech, hops in a car that doesn have this tech? Accidents and stupid drivers galore!

Learn to drive. And put down that hamburger.

[themadscientist]

Government mandates panties, agents deployed in the field to ensure compliance.

[sultan]

i'm not a fan of rear view cameras at all. the fx has one and i hate it, but i hardly drive it since i always ride the sv unless it's raining.

rear view cameras also are incredibly bad if you're backing up to a trailer. i almost hit my trailer, the bumper looks like the po did hit his trailer.

maybe it just takes practice to get used to these things but they do not help at all.

[C-Kwik]

I'm somewhat torn on this. On the one hand, its pretty useful. Even a small car has a blindspot right behind it that a small child can easily be missed in. On the otherhand, people are going to become more dependent on this. I have a back-up camera in the Titan. It displays on my Nav screen. But I am much more dependent on my rear sonar than on the camera as I back up since its hard to tell exactly how far I am from whatever is behind me and I can't see what's below the horizon of my tailgate. The Sonar picks up plenty of things. Sometimes they are false alarms. In either case, if I hear the Sonar and its not something I can see or know what it is, I peek at the screen to make sure its clear.

The problem I have with it is not that its becoming mandated. But that if they make it so you face forward to see what's on the screen, it will make it less likely that people will actually turn and look over their shoulder. From investigations I've done, most accidents involving backing occurs because people don't look over their shoulder. But those are generally with other cars as they don't see them coming down the aisle since they are either not looking or just using their mirror (in which case they don't see the other car until they are behind them). However, with regards to injuries and fatalities, they are likely to involve pedestrians. And young children in particular are more likely to be too short to see even behind a small car. Again, I find myself torn. If they do force this, I'd prefer they actually put the screen behind the driver to force them to turn to face it. And it should be supplemented with rear sonar. The sonar would have a nice side benefit of helping to prevent people from backing into cars while parallel parking. I can feel pretty damned comfortable backing up to another car than pulling forward towards one (when trying to get close). Cameras can help too, but the fisheye appearance makes it hard to tell what the actual distance is.

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

Good point on the sonar...a much more easily mandated technology. Cool idea about forcing them to turn around too.

You bring up another point in the wide disparity of camera implementation among the different manufacturers. Some are fantastic (Mercedes, Volvo), others simply get the job done. If the government gets involved, you can bet we ain't getting the Mercedes tech.

[snwbrdr435]

I wonder how many more motorcyclists will be killed if this passes.

But i was looking in my rear view camera when i backed out of the driveway officer. The motorcycle wasnt behind me.

[C-Kwik]

Good point on the sonar...a much more easily mandated technology. Cool idea about forcing them to turn around too.

You bring up another point in the wide disparity of camera implementation among the different manufacturers. Some are fantastic (Mercedes, Volvo), others simply get the job done. If the government gets involved, you can bet we ain't getting the Mercedes tech.

They could mandate minimum specifications. But that could be a whole other debate by itself. But the cameras don't necessarily have to be that fancy. If the intent is to look for pedestrians, then it only needs to show the driver they are there. Its not like we need high res stuff.

I wonder how many more motorcyclists will be killed if this passes.

But i was looking in my rear view camera when i backed out of the driveway officer. The motorcycle wasnt behind me.

I'd say no more than are already getting killed now (if such fatalities actually occur from backing). Many people already look only in their rear views while backing. The range of view is probably similar for most cars.

[nissangirl74]

To me, it is senseless for the NHTSA to go to all the trouble and expense of mandating this. Even if you make it a rule, you can't make people obey that rule. I understand the role of how beneficial this could be to families with small children. There have been at least two cases that I know of in our area where toddlers have been killed in this manner. As a parent, I can't imagine the grief those parents go through. As a realist though, I know that these devices aren't a guarantee to prevent this from happening. Drivers need to be aware of their surroundings at all times. AND If you can't correctly back up a vehicle without using a back-up camera, you probably shouldn't be driving in the first place. I don't argue with the technology, I think it is a fantastic tool. I also think it should be an option. Don't make it stupid expensive, make it affordable so those who want it can get it. But the rule makers need to stay the hell away from this. We don't need more rules, unless you are deciding to make the driving test harder to keep the dipshits who don't know how to drive off the roads.

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

unless you are deciding to make the driving test harder to keep the dipshits who don't know how to drive off the roads.

+9,000
Driving test should be a 200 mile drive cycle through all manner of environments. Snow, rain, city, highway, rural. No written exam. Or, make a defensive driving and general education class mandatory for all applicants...not just to lower your insurance rates.

[nissangirl74]

unless you are deciding to make the driving test harder to keep the dipshits who don't know how to drive off the roads.

+9,000
Driving test should be a 200 mile drive cycle through all manner of environments. Snow, rain, city, highway, rural. No written exam. Or, make a defensive driving and general education class mandatory for all applicants...not just to lower your insurance rates.

i agree with all of this except for "No written exam. " I think you should have to prove that you can read, write, and understand the language before you are given a driver's license. You have to be able to read road signs in order to be safe on the road.

[ADDirishboy]

i agree with all of this except for "No written exam. " I think you should have to prove that you can read, write, and understand the language before you are given a driver's license. You have to be able to read road signs in order to be safe on the road.

But what about the Spanish-speaking community! How are they supposed to know what the signs say! We must make Spanish signs to remedy this!