Gov't mandate for back up cameras...

[LTC8K6]

So, how do you like your new mandatory option? :biggrin:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101203/ap_on_bi_ge/us_auto_safety_children

WASHINGTON – Rearview cameras could become more common in future cars and trucks under new rules the government was proposing Friday to address concerns about drivers unintentionally backing over children.

The Transportation Department was offering new requirements to improve rear visibility in cars by the 2014 model year. Most carmakers would meet the requirements by installing rear-mounted video cameras and in-vehicle displays.

...

 

[sdifox]

I can't think of a single human stupidity problem solved by applying technology.

 

[roguerower]

I can't think of a single human stupidity problem solved by applying technology.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that adding technology would make the problem worse. Let's try and rectify everyone's laziness by requiring something that makes driving even more of a danger to those around the vehicle in quesiton. Darwin will not be pleased with this.

This is the type of government intervention that drives me nuts.

 

[JCH13]

I can't think of a single human stupidity problem solved by applying technology.

It's not all a human stupidity problem. What about service vans and trucks that only have side-view mirrors, but no rear view mirrors? A back-up camera gives them a view they did not have before. Heck, a small child would not be visible behind a regular sedan from any mirror. The driver could get out a look, but that does not stop a kid from running behind the car while it is backing up. 'Oh, but the driver will see them approach the car!' Maybe, but the driver cannot keep an eye on EVERY mirror at the same time. I think it will help more than hurt.

 

[SearchMaster]

In fact, I would go so far as to say that adding technology would make the problem worse. Let's try and rectify everyone's laziness by requiring something that makes driving even more of a danger to those around the vehicle in quesiton. Darwin will not be pleased with this.

This is the type of government intervention that drives me nuts.

The only problem with this theory is that the driver is rarely the one who is Darwin'ed.

 

[SearchMaster]

Oh, and while I think this is a stupid idea, back-up cameras are awesome if you tow at all. My brother-in-law's truck has one and we used it to tow my boat - beats the hell out of having someone stand behind you to guide you and taking a while to get it just right.

 

[sdifox]

It's not all a human stupidity problem. What about service vans and trucks that only have side-view mirrors, but no rear view mirrors? A back-up camera gives them a view they did not have before. Heck, a small child would not be visible behind a regular sedan from any mirror. The driver could get out a look, but that does not stop a kid from running behind the car while it is backing up. 'Oh, but the driver will see them approach the car!' Maybe, but the driver cannot keep an eye on EVERY mirror at the same time. I think it will help more than hurt.

Article is talking about family member letting kid run loose on driveway while another family member backs car out.

That is negligence.

Having said that, I don't oppose rear view camera in commercial vehicles.


I wonder how well the Nissan all around top view works.

 

[JCH13]

article is talking about family member letting kid run loose on driveway while another family member backs car out.

that is negligence.

Having said that, I don't oppose rear view camera in commercial vehicles.


I wonder how well the Nissan all around top view works.

I would not say that is negligence, it is just NOT helicopter parenting. You cannot reasonably expect every kid to be watched all the time. I do not mean that parents should skip over the importance of safety around vehicles, but what 4-year-old kid is going to sit there and think: "gee, I'd love to get my baseball, but it's in the driveway and mommy might back out and run me over" ?

 

[sdifox]

I would not say that is negligence, it is just NOT helicopter parenting. You cannot reasonably expect every kid to be watched all the time. I do not mean that parents should skip over the importance of safety around vehicles, but what 4-year-old kid is going to keep that in mind all of the time?

You kidding? You let a kid out in the driveway without supervision when someone else is going to drive out of said driveway?

It is not the job of the four year old to watch out for cars. It's the care-giver's.

 

[LTC8K6]

You'll just get lawsuits when they back up over their child anyway...the screen wasn't clear enough, the alarm wasn't loud enough, there wasn't a sufficient warning about looking back there, rain/snow/fog on the camera lens prevented me from seeing, it had false alarms before so I ignored it, etc.

My 08 Grand Cherokee has the factory backup camera, and it has a warning about checking your surroundings.

Just more removal of responsibility.

And the back up alarm usually has to be turned off when you tow a trailer, and it usually resets, so you keep having to turn it off when you start the vehicle.

 

[ichy]

We need a way to weed out stupid children who play behind cars. Stop screwing with Darwin!

 

[JulesMaximus]

How about you just turn your head and look behind you?

Oh wait, that doesn't work on vehicles over 6' tall...

 

[jaydee]

Normally opposed to gov't regulation, but I don't mind this one. Stuff happens, a kid could run behind a car from your left as you look over your right shoulder. I know someone this happend to a couple years ago. It wasn't bad parenting, it was just a freak coincidence how a 4 year old ran behind the car driven by an inexperienced teenage sibling while a handful of people didn't notice for 2 seconds. That all it takes, 2 seconds. The girl died.

Of course, in a forum of single men who nothing about mating to begin with, I wouldn't expect this proposal to be popular.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

It's not all a human stupidity problem. What about service vans and trucks that only have side-view mirrors, but no rear view mirrors? A back-up camera gives them a view they did not have before. Heck, a small child would not be visible behind a regular sedan from any mirror. The driver could get out a look, but that does not stop a kid from running behind the car while it is backing up. 'Oh, but the driver will see them approach the car!' Maybe, but the driver cannot keep an eye on EVERY mirror at the same time. I think it will help more than hurt.

Natural selection.
Survival of the fittest.
Thinning the herd.

 

[JCH13]

You kidding? You let a kid out in the driveway without supervision when someone else is going to drive out of said driveway?

It is not the job of the four year old to watch out for cars. It's the care-giver's.

What does it really take (for example) to have kids playing in the back yard turn into kids running around the house and through the driveway? That is beside the point though. I agree that there is no replacement for proper supervision, but if it was your kid, and you looked away for a moment because the phone rang, and in that moment your kid ran into the driveway as someone was backing out, wouldn't you be glad that the car had a back-up camera and did not run over your kid? It's not a replacement for good supervision, just another layer of safety.

Edit: what jaydee said.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Normally opposed to gov't regulation, but I don't mind this one. Stuff happens, a kid could run behind a car from your left as you look over your right shoulder. I know someone this happend to a couple years ago. It wasn't bad parenting, it was just a freak coincidence how a 4 year old ran behind the car driven by an inexperienced teenage sibling while a handful of people didn't notice for 2 seconds. That all it takes, 2 seconds. The girl died.

Of course, in a forum of single men who nothing about mating to begin with, I wouldn't expect this proposal to be popular.

It's not popular because we don't want the government telling us what to buy and how to live our lives.
It's fools that keep thinking it's ok because "it's for the children" that are the ones that are the problem.

BTW I have 2 kids so I think I know more about mating than you.

 

[speedy2]

Normally opposed to gov't regulation, but I don't mind this one. Stuff happens, a kid could run behind a car from your left as you look over your right shoulder. I know someone this happend to a couple years ago. It wasn't bad parenting, it was just a freak coincidence how a 4 year old ran behind the car driven by an inexperienced teenage sibling while a handful of people didn't notice for 2 seconds. That all it takes, 2 seconds. The girl died.

Of course, in a forum of single men who nothing about mating to begin with, I wouldn't expect this proposal to be popular.

So.....back up cameras would've prevented this? Even...government mandated back-up cameras?

 

[jaydee]

So.....back up cameras would've prevented this? Even...government mandated back-up cameras?

Do you know how a back up camera works? It displays what is behind you that you can't see looking out the rear window. You look at that screen right before remove your foot of the brake pedal (automatic), if not the entire length of your driveway until you reach the road and ready to spin the wheel.

 

[Unheard]

IT'S FOR THE CHILDREN!

Why do you hate babies OP?

 

[SearchMaster]

Shit happens, and sometimes it's tragic.

I have an acquaintance who was driving a truck with a camper shell in the bed. He came home for lunch and his son crawled up the ladder on the camper and fell asleep on the top. When he pulled out of the driveway, the kid fell off and was in a coma for quite a while (he's okay now thank God).

A backup camera wouldn't have prevented this, should campers be required to have cameras on top?

Backup cameras should be optional. How much should the government mandate to prevent 300 deaths per year? And how many of those 300 listed would have been prevented anyway? I wonder how many accidents happen every year because parents turn their head to scold their children in the back seat - perhaps we should mandate rear seat DVD players to keep them from pestering each other? 😉

 

[RKS]

We have sensors for the rear of our suv and those are great. Our car has the camera and it works great. We have taught our kids to stay off the driveway whenever someone is pulling in our out, that works the best.
Now Bacon, our lab, isn't smart enough to stay off the driveway but just quick enough to stay off the Rainbow Bridge.

 

[jlee]

Mandatory backup cameras, mandatory tire pressure monitoring systems, mandatory stability control systems....what I don't get is why don't we actually have procedures for driver's licenses that at least TRY to make sure drivers are even semi-competent!?

 

[roguerower]

Mandatory backup cameras, mandatory tire pressure monitoring systems, mandatory stability control systems....what I don't get is why don't we actually have procedures for driver's licenses that at least TRIES to make sure drivers are even semi-competent!?

Negative ghostrider. Driving is a right, not a privilege. Everyone turning 16 should be given a lexus with all these fancy doohickies so they never have to learn how to drive.

 

[ravana]

Mandatory backup cameras, mandatory tire pressure monitoring systems, mandatory stability control systems....what I don't get is why don't we actually have procedures for driver's licenses that at least TRY to make sure drivers are even semi-competent!?

+ 1 & :thumbsup:

 

[hanoverphist]

And the back up alarm usually has to be turned off when you tow a trailer, and it usually resets, so you keep having to turn it off when you start the vehicle.

usually they are only active when the vehicle is in reverse... at least thats the way we install them at my friends shop.


mandating this is kind of ridiculous. i taught my kids at a young age to watch for cars, and they have yet to be hit by one. having one on your vehicle is not a bad thing, but it wont replace the parenting that should have been there in the first place. i wouldnt mind having one on my truck, the bed is kind of tall and i cant really see anything within 10ft of my bumper if im sitting inside.