Davis Law Group, P.S.

Proposal Could Prevent Child Back Up Accidents

Every week, 300 deaths and 18,000 injuries are caused by back-up accidents in vehicles. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed that automakers are required to completely erase blind spots from their vehicles by 2014.

Half of the fatalities happen to children under the age of 5. In order for this proposal to go into effect, automakers would have to install rear-mounted cameras on their vehicles in order for drivers to see behind them when backing up.

This proposal was requested in December of 2010. Automakers are concerned with this proposal due to the high costs and efficacy of rear cameras on cars, which delayed the proposal.

The decision on the proposal should be made by the end of 2011. There was also a hearing, where advocates could voice their concerns with NHTSA.

At the hearing, victim of tragic car accident explained their personal injury stories. A woman shared a story of her 2-year-old chasing a ball, and was hit by their neighbor backing out of the driveway.

Another woman shared a story of how her daughter was killed when she ran behind her brother-in-law’s trucks when he was pulling out. The driver said he looked in his mirrors multiple times.

A man shared his story of being backed over on a walk with his mom, when he was only 14 months old. He has been in a wheelchair since 1995. He permanently suffers from spinal injury that paralyzed him for life. The victim says that he is just happy to be alive. He also installed a rear camera on his specialized van to avoid injuring someone in a similar accident. The camera cost him 60 dollars.

If your child has been in a back up accident, Davis Law Group encourages you to seek legal help. Call Chris Davis at (206) 727-4000 for a free consultation.

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