It is every drivers worst nightmare - - backing their vehicle up and unexpectedly striking the person behind you. This happens more than you would think as Business Week recently reported that every year 292 people die and 18,000 are injured by back overaccidents. Based on this epidemic, former President Bush signed into law the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act in 2008. The law was named for a two-year-old boy who was killed in 2002 when an SUV driven by his father backed over him. The law gave National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) three years to come up with new rules to “reduce death and injury resulting from backing incidents” by requiring “additional mirrors, sensors, cameras, or other technology to expand the driver’s field of view.”

As a result, the NHTSA is expected to issue a regulation requiring rear-view cameras on all new automobiles sold in the U.S. starting in 2014. NHTSA says the cameras will cut the number of deaths by half, to 146 a year. Yet the auto industry is questioning the prospective rule, calling it an example of overregulation by the federal government. NHTSA estimates it will cost automakers as much as $2.7 billion to install the devices on 16 million cars every year, which works out to about $18.5 million per life saved.

There has been quite a bit of backlash from the auto industry due to the increased costs that they will bear.  Does the auto industry have a viable argument?  Were these same auto giants making the same arguments when the government began requiring seat belts in the early 1960s or later when they were required to add air bags. I think this is the cost of doing business and that consumers are due fair protection from the products placed in the open market. Once could argue that the new regulation is a little overreaching. This could be true, but I believe - - at a bare minimum - - auto makers should be required to install rear-view cameras on all SUVs, truck and vans as the line of sight behind them begins at approximately 20 feet, which can make it impossible to see a small child directly behind the vehicle.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a Chicago car accident or a Chicago back overaccident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation at 32-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"">