All New Cars Must Have Rear-View Cameras By 2018

A government regulation says all new vehicles under 10,000 pounds must have rear-view cameras, which could save as many as 69 lives a year

The Department of Transportation announcednew regulations Monday requiring all new vehicles to include rear-view cameras.

Under the new regulation, rear-view cameras must be built into all new vehicles under 10,000 pounds, including everything from super-small compact cars to large vans, but excluding some heavy-duty trucks.

According to a press release from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—the division of D.O.T. responsible for administering the rule—rear-view cameras will help reduce the annual average of 200 deaths and 15,000 injuries in accidents involving a vehicle backing up. Small children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable, the NHTSA said, and the new rules are expected to save between 58 and 69 lives a year.

The new requirement for rear-view cameras had initially been scheduled for implementation by 2014. Under the regulation announced Monday, the rule will begin enforcement in 2018, on model year 2019 vehicles.