New passenger cars, other vehicles must have rear visibility systems by 2018

Washington – By May 2018, all new vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds – including buses and trucks – will need to be equipped with rear visibility systems, according to a final rule issued March 31 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The final rule is expected to decrease the risk of unintentional backovers, the cause of approximately 210 fatalities and 15,000 injuries each year, NHTSA stated in a press release. The rear visibility systems must be able to display a video on a dashboard screen or the rearview mirror, and meet the following specifications:

• Allow view of the 10-foot by 20-foot zone directly behind the vehicle – the area associated with the greatest backover risk
• Activate within two seconds of the vehicle switching into reverse
• Be large enough for drivers to be able to make safety decisions about objects in the video