Engineering News

GA Andy..............................way more sensible than what's being proposed here in the US.

It was certainly cheap to effect, but sadly NOT a requirement here.....

Thanks for the GA.

People see the word "mandate" and immediately loose reason. This is simply another tool, not an vicious attack on civil liberties. When rear-view mirrors were first required one wonders if people similarly opined "you can just turn around and look!".

Cameras are astoundingly cheap, as are small displays (which some new cars have anyway). For each consumer the cost will likely be little different than any number of factory or dealer "mandated" convenience features or add-ons that are taken in stride. Could the same functionality be had with cheaper cardboard periscopes? Maybe. But why not use the better technology?

The number of deaths and injuries this may prevent is seemingly small. But there's also a huge # of cases annually involving backing over / into low objects, causing costly damage to the vehicle (and object).

Yeah. And the first time some guy crashes into the car in front of him because he's using his back up camera to get a better look at the hot chick driving behind him, (you can switch the guy and girl role), it will be "mandated" that the camera only work when backing up.........................................

And the first time somebody files a lawsuit because they backed into something, due to a camera "blind spot", it will be mandated that multiple cameras be installed, with multiple displays.........................................

The government has done enough for us, in the name of safety. It's time for them to concentrate on the fiscal disasters that they have created, and it doesn't involve finding new ways to spend money, or force us to.

Yep. It an endless cycle.

• "It is impossible to make anything foolproof, because fools are so ingenious." --RobertHeinlein
• "Those who try to build idiot-proof systems always underestimate the persistence and ingenuity of idiots." --anon
• "If you make your system more idiot-proof the idiots will build a bigger idiot" --anon
• "You can make something foolproof, but not damnfoolproof" --anon

I say just let it be an option. If I want to buy it, I'll buy it. If my insurance company gives me a discount on rates for having one, that will be more incentive. If the insurance company doesn't see it as a worthwhile discount, then it probably isn't.

Actually, the cameras only work when the vehicle is in reverse right now. Or at least the one I have on my vehicle does. I find it an extremely useful addition to the mirrors. Does it magically make me a accident-free driver? Nope. But it helps. Sadly many arguements seem to stem out of a fear / dislike of government and a low estimation of people's intellegence. You could do similarly for *any* of the things mandated on vehicles:

"Headlights? The goverment wants to force us to work past midnight! Plus my taxes already pay for streetlights!"

"Wipers? Are people too stupid to check the weather before they drive?"

"Seatbelts? How dare the Feds baby us! I can grab the seat in a crash!"

"Safety glass? The crooked glass lobby is behind this!"

And so on. Of course it's also easy to invent any number of strawman scenarios where those above items and cameras would be detrimental. Headlight scaldings, being impaled by a runaway wiper, etc. But in the real world the pros far exceed the cons.

No one is metaphorically trying to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

There are a number of safety features that make sense. Seat belts, yes; those automated seat belts that people hated and would avoid using, no.

The high-mounted brake light is a good idea. It puts the light more directly in the drivers field of view, and one can see the benefits right away. On the other hand, always-running 'daytime running lights' are of dubious value. In a road with high traffic density, the sea of additional visual noise that DRL generate means that emergency vehicles and motorcycles are less visible. And DRL use energy, while giving off waste heat.

At this point, the rearview camera just seems like another mandate being shoved downed the public's throat and we are expected to, if not like it, at least appreciate what our benevolent overlords are doing for us.

I've got audio back-up sensor system on one of my cars. It lets me know with a loud beep-beep if there is an object near the rear bumper when I am backing up. It was an already-installed option when I bought the car, and I like it. I has warned me a couple times, when backing out of a parking space between two big SUVs that pedestrians were walking into the area behind the car even before they were visible. It is not a government mandated device, but I'd happily have it again as an option. Unless the rearview camera has a panoramic field of view, it would not have detected these same pedestrians.

Funny little thing about mandates and regulations......................they make me feel more paranoid than safe. Of course, some of us are unaware that we are all pawns in a game that is played by politicians on both sides.

Tell me...............does this make you feel safer?

The 50,000 midnight regulations are just a small part of the total...............they all cost money.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_regulations

The previous post mentioned 50,000 regulations imposed just from the executive level since 1996.

All of these outfits can, and do also impose new mandates, rules and regulations upon us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Federal_Regulations

Felling safer yet?

How about the big deal "acts" from congress?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_federal_legislation,_2001-present

From here, you can go to your particular state. NC alone, where I live, has imposed hundreds of new laws and regulations in the past year.

Feeling safer yet?

Look up the new laws and ordinances for your particular county................your particular city, or town.

Well, I'm pleased that you're at least recognizing you're arguing from sheer paranoia rather than rational thought. It's a healthy first step for you.

Um.........................none of your examples were invented or implemented by government. Only hijacked by government. We'll never know if they would have caught on and been widely implemented without government interference.................I suspect that each and every one of them would have.

I never claimed any of these (or cameras) were invented by government. But they are all mandated in your vehicle by the government. Oddly we don't seem to be chafing under their oppressive yoke.

I recall when cars first started to have nag alerts to get you to buckle your seatbelts. People railed aginst them. Even now, my state spends money on public ads to remind people to wear the belts or be ticketed. Say...it's almost if people wouldn't even have seatbelts in cars if not required. Hmmmm.

I also recall when airbags were first being developed. The evil, horrible, rotten government thought maybe it would be a good idea to mandate those for all cars. OH, the screams that arose! Car manufacturers (in particular Chrysler, iirc) cried it was too difficult and even if it could be done it would make cars utterly unaffordable. People wailed that they were a stupid, intrusive idea.

And now...they're a selling point.

And now...they're a selling point.

Bingo!!!

The free market at work. Gotta love it.

All rules and regulations are not bad. Many are totally necessary. The government doesn't know when to stop with them. Coupled with the fact that the US is looking at running a $1.6 trillion annual deficit for the foreseeable future.................................

I know, I know...........................If just one life is saved, it's worth it. Got the memo.

Dinner being served in public schools is also being implemented. I guess because the parents are swapping food stamps for crack.

What a "Great Society" we are building.

You wrote:-

I guess because the parents are swapping food stamps for crack.

A good reason alone to feed the kids in school I feel.

Also, you do know that for a small amount of money, every school child gets at least one good meal a day. I am all for school dinners.....I liked mine both at primary and Grammar School.....51 to 63.

And what will they say when the dumb@$$ backs over his kid because he wasn't looking at the camera display because he was in such a rush? Next, we'll have radar systems that automatically apply the brakes, oh wait a minute, some vehicles already come with that without the "benefit" of a mandate.

Some vehicles because of their poor design, have horrible blind spots. Most of those already have sonar systems to warn of obstructions. Why a camera? My VW Jetta has excellent rear visibility. I have no need for a camera. When my Suburban is loaded to the gills, a camera might be nice. But then again, exercising personal responsibility is my way to mitigate risks.

Who here reading this does a 360 degree pre-flight check of their car? It only takes about 10 seconds. You might notice a tire with low pressure, the skateboard or wagon your kid left behind the car, etc. The challenge is how to get drivers to maintain situational awareness so they don't get into accidents of any kind. If we spent 1% of the money spent trying to make cars "safer" on actually training drivers, we would come out a lot further ahead.