A heart-stopping image most of us carry (thanks to car commercials) is the kid who darts into the street in front of your vehicle, too late to brake unless you're driving the miracle car that's being advertised. The more likely way you'll kill a kid: You'll back up over him in your very own driveway. Nearly 10 percent of all childhood pedestrian related injuries occur in driveways. And thousands of pets are killed each year in this way.
Very few drivers actually inspect what's behind their cars before leaving a driveway. And backing up presents a driver with the blindest of blind spots. So a bill sent to President Bush yesterday (which he is expected to sign) requires driver visibility to the rear of a vehicle meet a minimum standard. This can be done with
“additional mirrors, sensors, cameras or other technology.”
For the millions of drivers who don't have these technologies, there are additional steps you can take to prevent this nightmare.
Source: Automotive News, NHTSA
