All vehicles have blind spots — areas around the vehicle that are difficult to see or can’t be seen from the driver’s seat. The larger the vehicle — SUVs, pickups, mini-vans — the bigger the blind spot. By far, the most dangerous blind spot is the one located at the rear of the vehicle. Each year, hundreds of individuals are killed, and thousands more are injured — mostly children and the elderly — because a driver failed to see them when they were backing up.
In 2014, the federal government took action to reduce the number of back-over accidents. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) passed a rule that required backup cameras to be installed in all vehicles under 10,000 pounds manufactured or made to sell in the United States by May 2018. These backup cameras are activated automatically when a car is put in reverse, displaying the area immediately behind the vehicle on a dashboard video screen. Some automakers are going further, adding backup warning sensors and reverse automatic braking systems in addition to rearview cameras.
The Effect of All These Backup Cameras
But with rearview backup cameras now installed in millions of U.S. vehicles, has there been a reduction in backup accidents?
Findings by the Insurance Information Institute indicate backup cameras reduce collisions by 16 percent (with a significant reduction in backup accidents involving drivers over the age of 70). However, data from the NHTSA shows injuries from backup accidents fell by only 8% between 2008 and 2011. But while injuries from backup accidents were not significantly reduced, the study showed that fatalities from backup accidents fell by 31% during the same period.
The problem is that while the rearview cameras provide better visibility, a lot of backup accidents are simply the result of distracted driving — drivers failing to check their rearview camera, rearview mirrors, or turning to look behind them before backing up. The most effective backup accident prevention systems combine rearview mirrors with automatic rear braking when objects get too close.
Have You Been Injured in a Manhattan Beach Backup Accident?
If you were injured in a backup accident caused by a careless driver, California state law gives you the right to seek compensation for the damages caused by your back-over accident injuries, including medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
To get the total compensation you deserve, you need the representation of an experienced personal injury attorney. The Manhattan Beach auto accident injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Scott Dinsmore, APC have successfully represented clients in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Hawthorne, El Segundo, Torrance, Gardena, Lennox, Carson, Redondo Beach, and other South L.A. area communities who have been injured in backup collisions and other auto accidents.
Don’t delay taking action — you only have a limited time in which to file a claim for a backup collision in Manhattan Beach. Contact the law offices of the Law Offices of Scott Dinsmore, APC to speak with a leading Manhattan Beach backup accident injury attorney about your case.
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