U.S. safety regulators issued a new and long-awaited rule Monday to require auto makers to install rear-visibility technology in all new vehicles starting May 2018, the latest in an effort to reduce injuries and deaths caused by backup accidents.
The rule requires all new vehicles under 10,000 pounds to come equipped with technology that allows the driver to detect objects or people in a 10-by-20-foot zone behind it, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
“Safety is our highest priority, and we are committed to protecting the most vulnerable victims of back over accidents—our children and seniors,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said.
The agency estimates that backup accidents on average kill 210 people and cause 15,000 injuries a year. About one-third of those deaths are children under age 5, the agency found.