Legislation making rearview cameras mandatory on standard new cars could be passed by the end of the month, which could in turn raise prices on new vehicles.
According to the Detroit News, Department of Transportation secretary Ray LaHood is set to meet with White House officials in an attempt to finalize the regulation, which would require all 2014 models created in the next year to have a rearview camera. The safety tool would help eliminate blind spots that could endanger pedestrians and cut down on the number of backover crashes, which kill about 300 people each year and injure an additional 16,000, the news source reports.
If approved, the move could see an average of $200 added to the price of new cars to make up for the cost of the camera. There also may be added costs for vehicle maintenance with these automobiles, as the camera or display screen may be more susceptible to problems that require professionals to fix or replace.
Rear visibility cameras are currently offered on about 70 percent of new vehicles, but the expansion to all new models would cost the industry an addition $1.9 billion to $2.7 billion a year, Automobile Magazine reports.