Backup cameras are now required by law to be fitted as standard to all new cars, under 10,000 lb (4,535kg), sold in the US.
The federal regulation came into effect on Wednesday, May 2, 2018. It requires all cars under 10,000 lb to have a camera with a field of view of 10-foot by 20-foot.
Congress passed a law requiring regulators to improve rear vision through the use of technology in 2008. NHTSA (National Highway Transport Safety Administration) wrote the regulation in 2014, but gave automakers a few years before it came into effect.
Cathy Chase, head of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said, “The regulation is a monumental advancement of safety for children, pedestrians, bicyclists and other vulnerable road users.”
Crashes when reversing are estimate to kill more than 200 people per year, with around 12,000 injured.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says backup cameras can prevent one in six crashes caused when reversing.
