Updated! Marking its third delay, the Fed elected to postpone setting into law final rules for car makers on including backup cameras in all new cars on a mandatory basis.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) was expected to announce the guidelines Wednesday, but instead told Congress that it would delay a final ruling until December 31, 2012.
The DOT was widely expected to confirm its preliminary recommendations that all cars must include backup cameras by 2014.
Secretary of State Ray LaHood said, ” While the Department has made progress toward a final rule to improve rearward visibility, it has decided that further study and data analysis–including of a wider range of vehicles and drivers–is important to ensure the most protective and efficient rule possible.”
Audiovox Electronics President Tom Malone said, “We are disappointed to hear the news that the guidelines on the Cameron Gulbransen back-up camera law has been delayed until the end of 2012 as well feel at Audiovox that this is an important step in helping protect our children and loved ones from needless backover accidents. Audiovox is fully committed to this category and will … do our best to increase overall awareness … of these much needed vehicle solutions.”
Child safety advocate Janette Fennell of KidsAndCars.org said, “This is devastating news. This additional long delay is totally unacceptable when it’s already been 4 years since the bill was signed into law. What more do we need to learn? We already know you can’t see behind vehicles and we have affordable and available technology to fix the problem.”
KidsAndCars.org has already documented 11 backover deaths in just the first seven weeks of this year.
The law, called the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act originally required a rear visibility rule to be set by Feb. 28, 2011.
LaHood added, “The Department remains committed to improving rearview visibility for the nation’s fleet and we expect to complete our work and issue a final rule by December 31, 2012.”
Source: CEoutlook
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Of course Audiovox is pushing this, they sell a ton of OEM to the car companies.
What about the small retailer? We will lose this business becuase the cars will already have them.
Let people make their own choice!