Further proof the government doesn't want it's citizens to actually be good drivers:

Quote :

"NHTSA proposes mandatory backup cameras by 2014 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing new regulations to mandate back-up cameras in all passenger cars, trucks, minivans and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less. If the proposed law goes into effect, automakers must get 10 percent of the fleet in compliance by 2012, 40 percent by 2013 and 100 percent of new vehicles by 2014. These measures are being proposed by NHTSA to try and reduce the number of back-over fatalities and injuries that occur on a yearly basis. According to NHTSA, 292 people die every year from back-over accidents while another 18,000 are injured. Will making rearview cameras mandatory help curb this? Is it possible but is this another case where drivers are moving further away from knowing actual driving skills and closer to reliance on digital assistance? In this case, perhaps not. Rearview cameras simply allow for a better picture of what's going on behind your vehicle, and with rollover standards and the increasing size of vehicles, rearward visibility in new vehicles seems to be getting worse, not better. Still, if NHTSA's proposal becomes law, there will be added cost passed on to consumers. Most luxury vehicles are already equipped with this technology – particularly those with navigation systems – but even if the systems aren't that expensive for automakers to install, they're likely to have a disproportionate impact on the MSRPs of inexpensive models."

I'll admit that some vehicles do need back up cameras. But your average 2-4 door coupe or sedan DOES NOT. That's just fucking lazy. One of my friends has a back up camera on his Mustang. GTFO with that crap.



http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/03/nhtsa-proposes-mandatory-backup-cameras-by-2014/

[Edited on December 3, 2010 at 12:48 PM. Reason : :]

12/3/2010 12:47:28 PM

My friends f150 has a backup camera with the display in the left corner of the rear view mirror. That shit about made me back in to something.

[Edited on December 3, 2010 at 3:29 PM. Reason : distracting me from actually being able to use the mirror]

12/3/2010 3:28:42 PM

who knows what kind of crazy mods people will be doing with their backup cameras if this gets mandated

12/3/2010 6:41:53 PM

I don't see the point. Cameras and mirrors both are useless if you don't look at them.

12/3/2010 7:13:38 PM

i can't imagine how many fender benders i would have been in as a new driver if i was looking at a small screen instead of turning around and looking

12/3/2010 7:58:25 PM

Quote :

"292 people die every year from back-over accidents while another 18,000 are injured"

doesn't seem like a big enough problem to justify a mandate

12/4/2010 12:56:16 AM

I wonder how many of those back over accidents are the result of someone just watching a damn camera screen and not looking to the left or right?

12/4/2010 2:59:25 AM

You are all missing the point, the camera is a valuable supplement to proper reversing technique, not a substitute for mirrors and a head that swivels.

12/4/2010 5:12:34 PM

how do you watch a screen that's in front of you while looking behind you? i'm sure someone here has a vehicle here with a camera (or an aftermarket setup), do you use the camera often?

12/4/2010 5:20:36 PM

^^I don't think we're missing that point. I think we just assume that the rest of the idiots that have just enough of a brain to drive a car are going to miss that point.

12/4/2010 5:40:54 PM

I never backed into anything in my life until I drove a vehicle with a rear parking camera. It wasn't that the camera didn't work, it's that it was useful often enough that when it wasn't, I wasn't used to doing it without it in that car. also, having distance sensors in a different car has made me less likely to err on the safe side when unsure of how much space I need when backing up.

You know what REALLY improves your confidence and safety when backing up? driving a miata with the top down! it's fucking tiny and super-manueverable and there's nothing to block your view. god I love that little car.

12/5/2010 12:58:49 AM

I think the actual point is that a lot of suppliers/oems/software vendors are hard up for cash in the recession and pushing to gov't to force the market to require their products and services.

12/5/2010 10:33:37 AM