PANAMA CITY, Fla. - As of May, backup cameras are required on all new cars. The Department of Transportation announced the federal requirement back in 2014 giving automakers have had several years to prepare.
Backup accidents not only kill more than 200 people each year but also injure more than 12,000.
Bay Lincoln car dealership car sales manager Greg Chavers said the backup cameras eliminate one of many blind spots surrounding your car.
"They have a grid on each camera, you would have green which is the furthest from the rear bumper, then it will go into yellow and wherever that object is on that color scheme is supposed to measure how close you are," said Chavers.
More than half of the roughly 200 people killed each year are children under 5-years-old or adults 70 and older. But you don't have to buy a brand new car to get this safety feature. Wattsound Car Audio installs them for a couple hundred bucks.
"You can go online and find extremely inexpensive cameras, I always go by the notion you get what you pay for," said co-owner of Wattsound Car Audio Cristi Norman.
Norman said they can add a camera monitor, attach and connect to the radio and even add a baby monitor.
"Not saying they will replace the mirrors, you should check everything but as an addition to, the blind spots you can't see, safety is what it's all about," said Norman.
He said it's a feature worth the investment.
"If a toddler was on a tricycle, this is a life saver," said Norman.
The backup camera is especially helpful in driveways for not only seeing small children playing but also objects like bikes and yard equipment that could damage your car.
The law applies to any new cars weighing fewer than 10,000 pounds, which includes most models.
