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In 2008, Congress ordered the Department of Transportation to mandate backup cameras in all new vehicles and light trucks in an effort to decrease the number of injuries and deaths caused by backover accidents. Six years later, the DOT finally put the law into place, and although it will not fully go into effect until 2018, the number of backup cameras in cars and trucks has dramatically increased. Unfortunately, it appears the number of accidents and injuries involving backover accidents has not decreased by the same amount.
A recent article by Consumer Affairs shows that in the same period of time the amount of backup cameras and screens doubled in new vehicles, the number of accidents also rose and the number of injuries only went down by ten percent. The one piece of good news is the number of deaths by backover accidents has declined, and the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration believes once the camera systems are fully in place, around 65 deaths due to backover accidents will be avoided every year.
The reasoning on why the number of accidents has increased is an interesting one. While backup cameras were put into place to assist the driver in seeing what is behind a vehicle, many drivers are actually relying solely on the camera system and have stopped utilizing their side and rearview mirrors to get a full view around the vehicle. The NHTSA is expected to conduct additional studies on driver behavior when using a backup camera and video screen. The organization also has a safety guide for parents to help keep children safe in driveways and parking lots, where the majority of backup accidents occur.
Children injured or killed due to a backover accident is an unsettling occurrence that continues to affect families across the country every year. If someone in your family has been injured as a result of a backover accident, you need attorneys who will be there for you and work diligently to obtain the financial damages you deserve. Please call the compassionate and experienced attorneys at Finz & Finz, P.C., today.
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Finz & Finz, P.C. is a New York and Long Island personal injury law firm based out of Mineola, NY. It was founded in 1984 and is highly rated, with many honors and awards of excellence.
