A headache for mechanics, annoying to drivers who hate random dings, and possibly a safety tool? Backup cameras have been around for quite a while now, and even the national highway traffic safety administration is putting in place a regulation that will eventually require cars of a certain size to have backup cameras. Rear visibility devices can certainly help as many drivers struggle to backup while maintaining visibility on all of their blind spots.
However, there seems to be trouble because backup cameras I have not brought down the number of accidents involved with vehicles hitting fixed objects behind them. So are people not using the backup cameras they have on their vehicle? Are they still looking over their shoulder as they back up and not using the screen? Our Atlanta car accident lawyers will answer these questions for you.
Purpose of Backup Cameras
Rear visibility devices are explicitly for safety purposes. The National Highway Transportation Safety Association, as well as III, were quickly onboard for implementing backup cameras or rear visibility devices into any and every vehicle on the road. Back in April of 2014, the NHTSA mandated that backup cameras be on all vehicles less than 10000 lb before May of 2018. While that time has come and gone, we haven’t seen a drastic decrease in backover accidents.
If anything, backup cameras have exposed how much disregard drivers have for the most dangerous maneuver you can perform in a vehicle. Imagine walking through a crowded area backward. Downtown Atlanta, Disneyland’s Main Street, or Times Square and having only a mirror to guide you on where to go. That is essentially what you’re doing in a vehicle when you’re backing up. All drivers know that every vehicle has blind spots, and still, there are back over accidents happening every day.
Does a Backup Camera Limit Your Range of View?
Yes, a backup camera does limit your range of you when you compare it to the range of you looking over your shoulder and checking your blind spots. Data has found that when using a backup camera, people were often reliant on only the screen. They did not check additional blind spots and did not glance over their shoulder.
Backup camera systems only have to cover a 10 to 20-foot area to meet Federal Regulations. The human eye can cover much more than that in a glance. Additionally, backup cameras restrict you to 80° behind the vehicle. The blind spots that all stand behind the signs of the vehicle are still there. Even with your backup camera, and both side-view mirrors, you can still manage to not see, and back into a person or object moving behind your vehicle.
It’s not just that these aren’t foolproof devices, it’s that they can actually pose a severe safety risk. With the camera and side-view mirrors taken into account, it’s likely that someone walking across the edge of your driveway could still get hit even when you’re using these devices.
What Should You Do when Backing Up?
Drivers should do a combination of all the things that can make a backing up safer. We’ve already established that backing up is the most difficult maneuver you can perform a vehicle. So what exactly should you do?
- Walk around your vehicle (especially if you know children play in the front yard or street area near your home.)
- Roll your windows down and switch off the radio before backing up (so you can hear your surroundings as well as see them).
- Check your rear-view camera
- Check over your shoulder
- Check your blind spots
- Use your rear-view camera to guide the maneuver
Stats on Backup Accidents
Every year there are over 200 fatalities from backover accidents, and about 30% of those fatalities are children under the age of five. An additional 15,000 people experienced injuries from backover accidents.
These accidents are avoidable, and backup cameras can play a role in reducing the volume of back over or backup accidents.
Who Should You Call When You Need an Atlanta Auto Accident Attorney?
If you are involved in a backup or backover accident, then you should contact the Weinstein firm. The driver vehicle may have been reliant on a backup camera that had a restricted range of you or was not properly being used. These issues can play a key role in resolving your accident, and evaluating the damage is tied to the Collision.
Get help with backup camera systems and your backover accident. When are you were hit while in a vehicle or as a pedestrian, we are here to help you see full compensation. Backup cameras can help prevent accidents but is there not used properly, or they don’t meet regulations, then they can’t help anyone. The Weinstein Firm is available to help you. We’re waiting for your call.
