Posted on 10/11/2012 10:10:54 AM PDT by MichCapCon
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it hopes to complete a rule that would require rear view cameras in the back of vehicles, which could cost as much as $57.2 million per life saved.
Equipping all vehicles with the rearview camera with interior mirror display would cost between $1.1 billion to $2.57 billion and is estimated to result in 26 to 69 "total fatalities avoided," according to NHTSA documents.
"On a costs-benefits analysis, this makes no sense whatsoever," said Shirley Ybarra, a senior transportation policy analyst for the Reason Foundation. "I'm sorry when people back over their children. In terms of costs, however, this is just ridiculous. This is just another example of the Obama nanny-state."
Magna Electronics Technology Inc. in Grand Blanc Township is getting local and state tax incentives to produce the rear view camera technology. The company received a five-year, $2.1 million deal in 2011 with the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
Magna Electronics plans to invest $64.8 million over the next five years in Michigan to expand the plant in Grand Blanc Township. Magna is the largest manufacturer of rear view camera technology in the country.
In addition to the issue about tax dollars being spent, many have questioned how far federal authority will reach when mandating laws if the threshold is to save a few dozen lives.
For example, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that about 20 children per year drown in buckets. Other groups estimate the annual deaths of people in buckets at 30. But should the federal government outlaw buckets?
Leon Drolet, chairman of the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance, said mandating motorists wear helmets in vehicles would save many more lives than a rear view camera.
"It's not about saving lives," Drolet said. "The cost is going to encourage some people to drive a less safe automobile. People will drive less safe cars for longer because they can't afford the 'regulation-mobile.' If it were about saving lives, you'd have to be able to measure how many lives are lost by people driving older cars. You are feeding the political process and lobbying process that created this regulation. They are the clear winners. There are tragedies that happen all the time. They are terrible. But tragedies make bad laws."
Thrown in some union kickbacks and other assorted bribes and you're good to go.
It's like printing money! Except that they don't print it, they take it out of our paychecks.
It's really nice to be able to see how far you are from that other car when backing out of a parking place, or parallel parking. And, if there are lines superimposed on the image, it makes it a snap to back into a tight spot.
But, it's ludicrous to make it required. Like all the other mandates, it will make the lowest and moderately priced cars more expensive, and out of reach for more people.
If Romney doesn’t take action to dial back the Regulatory State seriously, we are still screwed.
I think we should be all required to buy my special solution spray that repels both sharks (In Lake Michigan only) and space aliens! It works REAL well, and only costs $100 dollars an ounce, and it will reduce insurance costs because these menaces will no longer be a significant issue!!! Call your congressional representation and ask for this safety legislation!!!
I bet anti-lock brakes have produced MORE accidents than with the old brakes and the common sense stopping method.
Its a wonder any of us survived without a federal automotive reversal agent backing the cars up for our fathers.
I agree. Cars are so overloaded with safety equipment that drivers have become unsafe themselves.
This would benefit ONLY the shark-lawyers who would be filing lawsuits against the manufacturers 1 week after the first camera is installed. Suing because some driver killed someone and blames the death on the camera. “I looked at the screen and I didn’t see anyone! The camera is at fault. Not me.”
I’m getting a helmet cam (2 actually, foreward and back) that record to an SD card. Last time I was rear ended
on my bike, the idiot denied all, and I had no proof.
Could be the driver for this initiative is to provide documentation for insurance claims.
Yet, elderly people will soon be denied lifesaving medicines that cost FAR less that 57,000,000, and will be told to take the pain pill.
Obama is a pure SOB.
The New York Times reports that NHTSA plans to announce this week that rearview cameras will be mandatory on all vehicles by 2014. The compulsory cameras and interface for viewing what the camera sees is estimated to set new car buyers back an additional $160 to $200, but the government feels the cost is worth it if it prevents some of the 17,000 Americans that are harmed in backup accidents every year.
Equipping all vehicles with the rearview camera with interior mirror display would cost between $1.1 billion to $2.57 billion and is estimated to result in 26 to 69 "total fatalities avoided," according to NHTSA documents.
Billion? Try million.
No, these cameras do not record. And if they did, I can promise you that the backlash would be huge.
This is a feature provided in many upscale vehicles that have a navigation system, or a big flat panel display in the dashboard. It switches on the camera automatically when you shift into reverse.
There are a few vehicles that put a tiny screen in the rear-view mirror. I don't find those as useful.
This is absurd. Not only is the money a waste, more importantly, it will "train" drivers to look at their rear-view camera monitor instead of actually looking behind them when they are backing car.
More stupidity from the land of stupidity - Wash., D.C.!!
I just recently bought a 2008 Hummer H3. It is an excellent off-road vehicle, the gas mileage is much better than I expected, and handling and comfort is quite good, with the added bonus of pissing off the environmentalists. It does have poor visibility out of the rear window, so I went to AutoZone and purchased a 3.5” backup camera for $79.00 on sale, manufactured by Peak. (The coolant guys) it only took me about 35 minutes to install, and I took a couple of breaks while doing so.
I installed it because I thought it was a good idea to do so, not because some bureaucrat wished to impose new regulations upon me. These fools will be the death of commerce and liberty if we let them have their way.
Having one, I would never drive a car without it again. It's a huge plus.
That said, mandating such systems won't help - you can't fix stupid.
more crony state-subsidized capitalism masquerading as a public good
we need to end the legal tyranny of the NHTSA and reduce EVERYTHING they propose to nothing more than a no-strings-attached recommendation, for the auto industry and it’s cusomers to follow/desire as they see fit
it’s fine that research into safety improvementts be done, but it should be led by the insurance industry and proposals from the research should wind up earning something like a “good housekeeping seal of approval” from the insurance industry and that is the only incentive - a market incentive - the proposals should obtain
if following a proposal will make an auto more expensive, automakers and dealers can decide, or not, to offer what the proposal recommends, and if willing to pay for it customers can ask for it - end of the only legitimate work of the proposal
Dear Wildbill22:
Please contact me at my K Street office in Washington, D.C. I’d like to hear more about your ideas. Bring CASH, lots of CASH. I’m sure we can work something out if you do.
Oh, and hold your nose and check your morals and ethics at the Potomac. You won’t need those in Washington.
Sincerely (not really),
Your friend (not really) on K Street
Well, if all it does is provide more distractions,
where is the value add? I could see having one on a
large truck/van/rec vehicle, but only if I wanted it,
not because the ever helpful busy bodies decide I needed one.
Options with Ford SYNC for example include “Driver Assist”
parking. One of the interesting problems is internationalizing the feature for markets where parallel parking happens to the left (UK, Japan, India, Pakistan).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.