We've all seen crashes of American classic sedans. The bodies are strong, but inside, passengers bounce around and hit all sorts of dangerous edges with deadly consequences. That's old America though, and the new one is all about safety. In some areas, the tests carried out there are more complicated than the ones done by Euro NCAP.
It's all too east to buy into the gossip that says European cars are miles ahead of the American ones. It's true for models made some years ago, like the Dodge Avenger for example. But after the bankruptcy crisis, Ford, GM and Chrysler are totally different companies who make much more reliable, efficient and advanced cars. Honda and Toyota can also be considered domestic makers, since most of the cars sold in America are actually built in America, the important ones at least.
New regulations recently announced in America will force all car companies to fit their vehicles with rearview technology, such as backup cameras, by 2018. Studies suggest that fitting a camera to all models would cost an average of just under $200, which is not a lot if you consider the benefits.
We want to know why the European Union isn't forcing a similar law in place, especially since studies in the US have shown 210 deaths and 15,000 injuries happen in backup crashes each year. With more and more people buying crossovers and SUVs, the problem is only going to get worse. Big trunks and sleek roof designs result in very small rear hatch glass and huge blind sports. They are especially problematic for short drivers.
Besides the loss of life, property damage to other people's vehicles should be considered. Cities like Rome or Paris are renowned for the constant fender-benders. Some people literally squeeze in until they touch the car behind them, but with a rearview camera parking would be a doddle. Young and/or inexperienced drivers would also get a huge boost in confidence from this feature as well.
Many other safety features should be looked into very seriously. We'd push for standard blind spot monitoring, since many of the crashes we've seen in dashcam videos show someone change lanes into another car not knowing it's there. As car design changed, most automakers now fit very thick B- and C-pillars which create visibility problems. And while a reversing camera requires a display screen, the changes made to the side mirrors are minimal.
The really big one though is the so called "distracted driving". Basically, it's all about people writing messages or using their smartphones to surf the net while driving. Overcomplicated infotainment systems with touchscreen controls even for the air conditioning can't help either, though I don't see how you can regulate that
I would never willingly agree to give up the use of my cellphone in the car and I think most of you guys feel the same way. But maybe somebody with more responsibility, clarity and power should force the decision upon myself and all the other drivers. Somebody like… I don't know… the European Union and the US Government.
New regulations recently announced in America will force all car companies to fit their vehicles with rearview technology, such as backup cameras, by 2018. Studies suggest that fitting a camera to all models would cost an average of just under $200, which is not a lot if you consider the benefits.
We want to know why the European Union isn't forcing a similar law in place, especially since studies in the US have shown 210 deaths and 15,000 injuries happen in backup crashes each year. With more and more people buying crossovers and SUVs, the problem is only going to get worse. Big trunks and sleek roof designs result in very small rear hatch glass and huge blind sports. They are especially problematic for short drivers.
Besides the loss of life, property damage to other people's vehicles should be considered. Cities like Rome or Paris are renowned for the constant fender-benders. Some people literally squeeze in until they touch the car behind them, but with a rearview camera parking would be a doddle. Young and/or inexperienced drivers would also get a huge boost in confidence from this feature as well.
Many other safety features should be looked into very seriously. We'd push for standard blind spot monitoring, since many of the crashes we've seen in dashcam videos show someone change lanes into another car not knowing it's there. As car design changed, most automakers now fit very thick B- and C-pillars which create visibility problems. And while a reversing camera requires a display screen, the changes made to the side mirrors are minimal.
The really big one though is the so called "distracted driving". Basically, it's all about people writing messages or using their smartphones to surf the net while driving. Overcomplicated infotainment systems with touchscreen controls even for the air conditioning can't help either, though I don't see how you can regulate that
I would never willingly agree to give up the use of my cellphone in the car and I think most of you guys feel the same way. But maybe somebody with more responsibility, clarity and power should force the decision upon myself and all the other drivers. Somebody like… I don't know… the European Union and the US Government.
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