Small children have a talent for finding their way into places they do not exactly belong. As any parent of a toddler or former toddler knows, you can turn your back for an instant and suddenly your child is sitting on top of the kitchen table. Or you are searching for their socks and suddenly your child has climbed up the staircase you swore you had roped off with a baby gate. Or you are backing out of the driveway and suddenly realize that your child is behind your vehicle.
While many potential car accidents involving back-overs are avoided just in the nick of time, too many loving and responsible parents actually do back-over their children each year, simply because most vehicles are not well equipped to keep small children and animals visible in their mirrors.
Many parents who have accidentally injured or killed their beloved children after backing them over have demanded that the government call upon auto makers to install rearview cameras. In doing so, these parents hope to spare others from the gut-wrenching experience of accidentally harming their own children.
Their efforts yielded results in 2008, when Congress passed a measure mandating that vehicle manufacturers improve rear visibility in new passenger vehicle models. Under the measure, the Department of Transportation was given until late February 2011 to issue final guidelines for manufacturers. However, the deadline has been pushed back for an unacceptable third time and children remain at risk because of the delay.
What is holding up this critical regulation and what must be done immediately to protect America’s kids? Please check back later this week as we continue our discussion.
Source: AOL Autos, “White House Dragging Feet On Car Tech Known For Saving Kids,” Dec. 26, 2012
