US government to ensure rearview technology in autos

Washington, April 2 (IANS/EFE) All vehicles under 10,000 pounds (4,500 kilos) sold in the US must be equipped with rear visibility technology by 2018 to reduce the number of backover accidents, authorities.

According to the new rule, for all automobiles of less than 10,000 pounds (4,500 kilos), "the field of view must include a 10-foot by 20-foot zone directly behind the vehicle," the regulatory agency National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said.

"Safety is our highest priority, and we are committed to protecting the most vulnerable victims of backover accidents - our children and seniors," said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

US authorities estimate that backover crashes take an average of 210 lives and injure some 15,000 people a year, of whom 31 percent are less than 5-years-old, while 26 percent being above age 70.

The NHTSA originally planned to put the new rule into effect in mid-2014, but later asked for more time to finalise the details.

According to the federal regulatory agency, the cost to the industry will be an additional $200 per auto. However, it said that many manufacturers are already including that technology due to growing consumer demand.

--IANS/EFE

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