Bringing on board a new administrator for improved leadership and a retooled focus, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has refined its mission and sharpened it’s focus on three particular areas of future progress:1
- Enhancing technology innovations
- Overhauling the automotive recall program
- Strengthening core safety programs to improve road safety
NHTSA Revises Administration Goals and Plans Road Safety Progress
“We’ve seen dramatic reductions in drunk driving, increases in seat belt use, and are better addressing the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. We’re holding companies accountable when they don’t live up to their obligations to report safety defects, and our agency accountable for rooting out unsafe vehicles. We made significant progress in 2015. In 2016, we will double our efforts to keep Americans safe on the road, whether they drive, ride or walk,” said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind in the administration’s 2015 Advancing Safety on American’s Roads presentation.
Innovating to Make Vehicles Safer
Now motorists can really see what’s behind them thanks to the innovation of technology like the rear-view video system – otherwise known as a backup camera. These devices are even becoming standard on some new car models. There’s even several aftermarket backup cameras that consumers can purchase and install themselves, if they don’t come standard on their vehicle, to make their driving even safer and more convenient. If your vehicle is less than a decade old, chances are it has a display in the dash for a bare minimum of at least displaying audio functions. This monitor can often times be upgraded with a backup camera retrofit kit. The average backup camera retrofit kit runs anywhere from $120 to $600, dependent on quality and brand. Here’s a list of some of the best known aftermarket backup retrofit kits:
- TadiBrothers (640 x 480 video) 120-degree field of view – $204.99 MSRP
- RearView Safety Wireless (582 x 500 video) 130-degree field of view – $179.99 MSRP
- Yada Digital Wireless (2.4GHz signal) 110-degree field of view — $129.99 MSRP
- Boyo VTC 424 (480 Pixels) 130-degree field of view – $150.99 MSRP
According to the NHTSA, if every vehicle on the road had a backup up camera installed on it, about 60 lives would be saved every year.
Efforts to Identify and Improve Recalled Vehicles and Equipment
When your car poses a safety risk due to a car or part of a car, the NHTSA has pulled out all the stops to improve the consumer notification process and get you to participate in getting the recall fixed. Not only will you get all those recall notices mailed to you, but they now have a recall lookup online form that consumers can search by Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
Strengthening Core Safety Programs
Whether it’s expanding impaired driver awareness through studies, campaigns, or partnering with law enforcement agencies, the NHTSA is committed to lowering the number of drunk and drugged drivers on the roads. They’ve also proposed new standards to improve child safety restraints. The NHTSA has also placed drowsy driving high up on the list of contributing factors that lead to car accidents and even traffic-related deaths.
Contact the Law Offices of Pius Joseph – Personal Injury Attorney
If you have been injured in a car accident as a result of a vehicle under recall, or due to faulty backup camera, contact a Pasadena personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Pius Joseph – Personal Injury Attorney by calling (626) 397-1050 or by emailing us via the contact form on this page.
- “NHTSA 2015: Advancing Safety on America’s Roads” published in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
