All cars and utility vehicles to have a compulsary reversing camera in U.S.

All cars and utility vehicles under 4500kg will have to be fitted with a reversing camera by 1st May 2018
The United States government has ruled to make rear view/reversing cameras as a compulsory fitment for all cars and utility vehicles weighing under 4500kgs. The decisions follows an uproar by security and safety organisations putting pressure on the government for a suitable action that could prevent senseless accidents that occur every year in the United States by drivers reversing out of their driveways.
On average, there are over 200 fatalities and about 1,50,000 injuries per year caused by reversing incidents. More than 50 per cent of the fatalities involve children under the age of five and senior citizens above the age of 70 who are usually slow to react to a car reversing.
According to the ruling, the camera must be able to give every driver a 10-foot by 20-foot or 3-metre by 6-metre field of view directly behind the vehicle. The system will also adhere to a minimum image size, which the United States Transport Department will specify subsequently.



Many United States manufacturers have already started acting on the directive and have started installing add-on reversing cameras as an optional extra on a dealer level. The move to install the cameras is estimated to add about $130-$150 to the price of cars that do not have screens as standard and as little as $25-$40 to cars that already have useable screens. This move might also usher in a revolution in add-on infotainment systems, something similar to CarPlay from Apple, which is expected to be in the market by the end of the year.
The cheapest car in India to get a reversing camera is the new Hyundai Xcent. A luxury first offered in cars only over 50-lakh, the reversing camera and many other similar gizmos have slowly but surely made their way into the lower segments to give added value to a buyer. We expect this decision by the U.S. Government to influence other governments worldwide to introduce a similar directive, which in turn will move towards making roads safer, especially in a country like India.

Source: http://www.zigwheels.com

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