Do Backup Cameras Improve Vehicle Safety?

 If you have been researching your next vehicle, you might have noticed a little trend! Backup cameras have become a popular standard feature for many vehicle manufacturers. In fact it is a standard feature on the entire Honda 2015 lineup! But do backup cameras really improve safety on the roads?

Backup camera systems have recently gone through a lot of vigorous testing to determine if they can improve blindspot visibility. Insufficient driver visibility while in reverse has actually caused a startling number of injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association estimates that 18,000 injuries and 292 deaths occur annually from vehicles that are reversing. Backup camera seem to be a tech-based solution to these statistics.

In 2014, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested the effectiveness of backup camera and backup sensors in preventing collisions while the vehicle is in reverse. They compared the use of only a backup camera, only a backup sensor, and a combination of both while a driver was reversing with various obstacles in their path. They used a control group of drivers without any kind of backup technology. The IIHS found that the drivers using only a backup camera were more effective at preventing collisions. They also concluded that backup cameras reduce blindspots by 90%. From these findings, the NHTSA estimates that backup cameras could prevent up to 8,374 injuries and 95-112 deaths from collisions while the driver is reversing, annually.

With proper use, a backup camera can significantly increase driver safety. Currently, there are no laws in Ontario which make backup camera use mandatory. However, those laws have been popping up throughout the United States over the past few years.