The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHSTA) recently held a full-day hearing regarding their proposed requirement for automakers to erase blind spots behind new vehicles by 2014. The proposal is aimed at curbing the nearly 300 deaths and 18,000 injuries that occur every year in back-up accidents, with nearly half of those fatalities occurring to children under age five. To reach the possible new requirement, automakers would have to install rear-mounted cameras that erase blind spots while in reverse.
The NHTSA proposed the regulation in December of 2010, but concerns from the car industry regarding the high costs and efficacy of rear cameras made the NHTSA delay the proposal. The NHTSA expects to make a final decision by the end of the year, and held the hearing so that advocates would have a chance to directly share their concerns with the NHTSA.
While at the hearing, victims of tragic car and truck accidents told regulators their stories. Brandy Dahlen recounted how her 2-year-old darted after a tennis ball and was struck by a 19-year-old neighbor backing out of his garage.
Angela Gridley shared how a truck driven by her brother-in-law killed her daughter Olivia. Gridley's brother-in-law claims that he checked behind the truck before leaving because he was helping the family look for a runaway dog, but Olivia only darted behind the truck as he was pulling out.
Patrick Ivison has been in a wheelchair since 1995, when he was backed over on a walk with his mother while only 14 months old. The resulting spinal cord injury paralyzed him for life. Ivison said at the hearing he is grateful just to be alive, and has installed a $60 rear camera on his specialized van at his own expense to avoid injuring someone in a similar manner.
If your child or loved one has been injured or killed in an accident, contact a personal injury attorney. While nothing can erase the tragedy of accidents like those above, a personal injury attorney may be able to help you obtain compensation for necessary expenses while going through an incredibly difficult time.
