Rear View Cameras Can Save Lives On Halloween Night, New Research Finds
New research released earlier this week by the AAA showed that rear view back-up cameras found in many new vehicles increased visibility of the rear blind-zone area by an average of 46 percent. Tests conducted by the group indicated that these systems, intended to improve driver awareness of the area immediately behind the vehicle in order to reduce back-over fatalities, can save lives.
“As Halloween approaches, we know that neighborhoods will be filled with small trick-or-treaters that could easily be missed when the driver turns his head to look behind the vehicle,” John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of automotive engineering, said in a statement. “When used appropriately, a rear-view camera offers a bright, clear view directly behind the vehicle where small children are most difficult to see.”
Each year, there are an average of 210 fatalities and 15,000 injuries caused by back over fatalities, the AAA said, based on federal data; children under the age of 5 account for 31 percent of those fatalities. And children, on average, are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year, according to the organization Safe Kids Worldwide
AAA evaluated 17 vehicles from 11 manufacturers with factory-installed and aftermarket rear-view camera systems, testing a variety of vehicle body styles to measure the reduction in blind-zone areas as a direct result of using rear-view cameras. Research was conducted with the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Automotive Research Center.
The increased visibility ranged from a 36 percent improvement in smaller sedans to a 75 percent improvement in hatchbacks for the vehicles evaluated; large trucks and sport utility vehicles scored in the mid-range.
The group noted that although these systems dramatically improved visibility, they did not show 100 percent of the space behind the vehicle.
The AAA recommends that drivers:
-Always walk behind their vehicle to visually confirm that there are no obstacles.
-Use the rear-view camera to confirm that nothing entered the area immediately behind the vehicle after the driver’s walk-through inspection.
- During inclement weather, motorists should resort to manual methods to confirm that the rear blind zone is clear, as rain, snow or slush can blur the rear-view camera lens. Wiping the camera during the pre-drive inspection, the group said, “is a good habit that ensures the camera is ready to capture a clear image.”
“Rear-view cameras are a great supplement for drivers,” Nielsen added. “Cameras don’t replace the need to check around your vehicle for obstacles before getting in to back up, but they do dramatically improve rear visibility. These systems are especially helpful for viewing the first 10 feet behind the vehicle, which are the most hazardous in terms of back-over risk for young children.”
All of the systems tested met – and many exceeded – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s minimum specifications for image quality, the AAA said. The federal agency will require a rear-view image in all passenger vehicles beginning in 2016, with full compliance by May 2018.
The effectiveness of back-up cameras (and six other new advanced in-vehicle technologies) was also assessed in an August 2014 report, Evaluating Technologies Relevant to the Enhancement of Driver Safety, released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a nonprofit research and education organization. Research for the report was conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab.
Click here to view the ratings, and here for more information about AAA’s research on rear-view camera systems.
