Have you ever run over a bike or a basketball because you didn’t see it in your rear-view mirror while backing out of your driveway? You are not alone. A large percentage of people have, at some point, accidentally run over something or backed into something because let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard to see what is going on behind your vehicle.
This is dangerous. It is dangerous because for some drivers, it is not a bike or a basketball behind their vehicle, it is a person. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that there are 210 deaths and 15,000 injuries annually due to back-over crashes. Alarmingly, 31 percent of the fatalities are children under five years old. Because of this, NHTSA is requiring that all new passenger cars and light trucks be equipped with back-up cameras by 2016, with full compliance by 2018.
In a recent study, AAA found that rear-view cameras increased visibility of the rear blind zone by an average of 46 percent (this ranged from a 36 percent improvement in smaller sedans to a 75 percent improvement in hatchbacks).
Despite significantly improving visibility, drivers should keep in mind that rear-view cameras are not infallible. They do not show 100 percent of the space behind the vehicle; however, they do give a clear view of directly behind the vehicle, which is the area hardest to see in rear-view mirrors.
Regardless of whether your vehicle has a rear-view camera or not, all drivers should get in the practice of walking behind their vehicle to visually confirm that there are no obstacles prior to getting in their vehicles. Drivers should also regularly wipe the camera of rain, snow and slush, as these thing can cloud the camera lens.
Safe driving habits save lives. Take the time to practice them. Someday, someone else’s safe driving habits could save your life.
