More Federal Requirements to Bloat Prices

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skip0110

skip0110

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Worcester, MA
skip0110
Now they want backup sensors to be required on all vehicles, just like airbags. Yet another option I don't want, yet I have to pay for. "Standard" options are the devil, and federal requirements are worse.

These backup sensors are not foolproof--they might not detect a small child playing behind the car--so all they instill is a false sense of security.

How about we get rid of the screwball behind the wheel?

Source: http://www.wpbfnews.com/automotive/3993165/detail.html
 
Airbags don't prevent all deaths either. Same with seatbelts. Are you saying we shouldn't have them required either?
 
Um...#1. seatbelts are a helluva lot more effective than without them. They have saved countless lives. backup sensors? We've gone 100 years without them, why do we need them now? Who's going to be backing up @ 35mph? Unless your driving a semi or large SUV i dont particularily see a huge point for them. Be careful, be slow, offer warning. Simple as that. The problem with common sense is that it's not that common.
 
THats just plain BS I dont want that feature it really stupid how do I know my cousin has it in their 04 Seinna. Why should we be forced to have something that should be optional? Sure to make the place a safer area but Who gives a **** about a few dings or dents? its not life threatening that they must require it! THe whole damn board of people that work there are just plain old stupid dumbas@es that have nothing better to do. Yeah I know some of you might be saying I bet they are smarter than you and all this other BS but this is just plain outragous (SP?)
 
I agree. how much more does it cost anyway? You'll probably get lower insurance rates as the payoff tho. Apparently its accident reducing. pfft. if ur a newfie ur still gonna back into a cop regardless of a beeping noise or not. lol.
 
People who have backup sensors are likely to be more effective at avoiding obstacles when packing up (even with checking), so the point still stands.

By the way, the article doesn't say anywhere that the Federal Government is going to actually mandate this, it merely says that a group wants it done.

Most likely because a family with an Infiniti SUV accidentally ran over and killed their 2 year old daughter near Dallas a few months ago. The family is sueing Nissan, claiming that Nissan should have backup sensors and reverse cameras on all their vehicles. The rear-view camera is an option on both the FX and QX SUVs, as part of their Technology Package of $4200.
 
Should it not be the responsiblity of these people to make sure they know where their children are before they start backing up?

Airbags and seatbels have their place. As cars get faster and highway speeds get higher, these features become more important. However, nobody has been backing up at more than 5 mph for the last 100 years, and we aren't going to be going any faster.

Yes, putting a price on a safety feature is bad. But incuding that price into the cost of all automobiles--even those bought by responsible individuals--is even worse.
 
The359
People who have backup sensors are likely to be more effective at avoiding obstacles when packing up (even with checking), so the point still stands.

By the way, the article doesn't say anywhere that the Federal Government is going to actually mandate this, it merely says that a group wants it done.

Most likely because a family with an Infiniti SUV accidentally ran over and killed their 2 year old daughter near Dallas a few months ago. The family is sueing Nissan, claiming that Nissan should have backup sensors and reverse cameras on all their vehicles. The rear-view camera is an option on both the FX and QX SUVs, as part of their Technology Package of $4200.
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Well then I guess they should only be on trucks,SUV's and vans not cars.
 
skip0110
Should it not be the responsiblity of these people to make sure they know where their children are before they start backing up?

Airbags and seatbels have their place. As cars get faster and highway speeds get higher, these features become more important. However, nobody has been backing up at more than 5 mph for the last 100 years, and we aren't going to be going any faster.

Yes, putting a price on a safety feature is bad. But incuding that price into the cost of all automobiles--even those bought by responsible individuals--is even worse.
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I was not stating an opinion about the Infiniti incident, merely pointing out the reasoning for the groups attempt to make this safety option standard.

And obviously you didn't read the article very well. The problem is NOT people backing up at high speeds, the problem is people running over things they cannot see. 120 deaths and 6,000 injuries in 1 year from people accidentally backing over someone at speeds below 5mph.
 
PublicSecrecy
The problem with common sense is that it's not that common.
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Well put. Quoted!

As for the asshat sueing Infiniti/Nissan because they were driving an Infiniti SUV while backing someone over, why should they try and pass off the blame to the company that made their car. It's about as stupid as someone suing a gun company because a criminal shot someone you knew. Oh wait, someone has done that...

But something else nobody has mentioned yet is how effective would rear sensors be at stopping these deaths? Lots of these deaths are because people suddenly jump out behind the car, something which would be difficult for the sensors to detect quickly enough to give the driver adequate time to react.

Would it be worth driving up the price of new vehicles by at least $1,000 for something that can be replaced with carefulness, good motoring skills, and common sense?
 
Its true, putting sensors and inflatable crap all over a car isn't going to reduce the number of crappy or irresponsible drivers out theyre- if anything you've made them feel more secure with being ignorant. Also, sometimes things just aren't in the range of a sensor. A small child for instance behind an SUV could have a head well below the bumper, or playing with snow in the rear wheel-well (horrible accident that I won't even get started on). Unless you're going to have a car covered in sensors, camera's, infrared rays missile defense system invisi-sheild blah blah blah you can't guarantee the safety (or jeopardy for that matter) of anyone.
 
Like a few people already said, this may be linked to the Nissan incident that happended awhile back. It's the driver's responsibility to be alert and aware of the surroundings. What's the point of having a rear sensor? If they want to have all cars (or at least SUVs) equipped with mandatory rear sensors, what about all the blind spots around the car? They might as well just stick sensors all over the car, including ones by the wheel because if an ignorant driver can back into his child without making sure there was nobody behind the car, what makes him not run over the child when the kid play's right by the side of the car?

And if anything, this will just make those irresponsible drivers NOT look back while reversing! They may depend too much on the sensor and end up causing more accidents.
 
The359
And obviously you didn't read the article very well. The problem is NOT people backing up at high speeds, the problem is people running over things they cannot see. 120 deaths and 6,000 injuries in 1 year from people accidentally backing over someone at speeds below 5mph.
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I obviously read the article, but did not make my point clearly. You are comparing apples and oranges. Airbags and three point seatbelts became necessary (...and eventually required) because the growing capabilites of cars and higher speeds on highways made more safety features necessary.

On the other hand, nothing in the last 100 years has changed about the way we back up--except the driver, who is probably in a rush, hitting the garage door thing, dialing their phone and putting their mug in the cupholder instead of looking backwards when they are backing up. And are we too lazy to just walk behind our car before we back up to see if something is there? It doesnt take very long, and we are all born equipped with a very sensitive and highly adaptable rear view monitor--it is our eyes.

As several people have said before me, the problem is not a change in cars themselves that all of a sudden causes all these accidents; it is irresponsible drivers. No number of sensors can compensate for that.
 
The359
Wrong. Blind spots.
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Sure. Take a look at the back window of a '32 Ford Coupe. Tiny. Or take a look out the back of a '60s musclecar, with that ass-in-the-air stance. Or try and back a Ford Country Squire wagon out of a driveway. The back is in another zip code, practically.

Blind spots definitely existed before the SUV. Its just that we don't check them anymore.
 
The359
Most likely because a family with an Infiniti SUV accidentally ran over and killed their 2 year old daughter near Dallas a few months ago. The family is sueing Nissan, claiming that Nissan should have backup sensors and reverse cameras on all their vehicles. The rear-view camera is an option on both the FX and QX SUVs, as part of their Technology Package of $4200.
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While I truly am very sorry for this 2year old girl, her family should be sent to prison.

First off, they let a 2year old wonder around behind an parked automobile with or without supervision. The driver backs up the SUV without checking what's behind the vehicle. After running over their daughter, they have the nerve to sue the manufacture of the vehicle for not having a backup sensor/camera.

When I studied for my driver's test years ago, it said in the text book, to always check behind the vehicle before getting in the car to back out. Don't they teach this anymore? If I had an 2year old daughter, this would my ritual before getting in my car. In the apartment I live in, there are some kids playing around sometimes, so I always back into my parking space. When I pull out of it, I won't have to worry about running over some kid.

This reminded me of an lady who sued Toyota, for making 4Runner's height too high, causing it to roll during an evasive maneuver in an accident. You turn the wheel all the way at cruising speed in an SUV intended for off-road use, what do you expect. If you are afraid of rolling over, don't buy an SUV, especially the 4Runner, it's got crazy ground clearance so you can go off-roading! This lady actually won millions of dollars from Toyota(I hope Toyota appealed). This lady and her lawyer should be sent to prison along with the family that ran over their daughter.
 
a6m5
While I truly am very sorry for this 2year old girl, her family should be sent to prison.

First off, they let a 2year old wonder around behind an parked automobile with or without supervision. The driver backs up the SUV without checking what's behind the vehicle. After running over their daughter, they have the nerve to sue the manufacture of the vehicle for not having a backup sensor/camera.

When I studied for my driver's test years ago, it said in the text book, to always check behind the vehicle before getting in the car to back out. Don't they teach this anymore? If I had an 2year old daughter, this would my ritual before getting in my car. In the apartment I live in, there are some kids playing around sometimes, so I always back into my parking space. When I pull out of it, I won't have to worry about running over some kid.

This reminded me of an lady who sued Toyota, for making 4Runner's height too high, causing it to roll during an evasive maneuver in an accident. You turn the wheel all the way at cruising speed in an SUV intended for off-road use, what do you expect. If you are afraid of rolling over, don't buy an SUV, especially the 4Runner, it's got crazy ground clearance so you can go off-roading! This lady actually won millions of dollars from Toyota(I hope Toyota appealed). This lady and her lawyer should be sent to prison along with the family that ran over their daughter.
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My friend was hit by a Honda CRV while crossing the road. I checked on him and then chased after the car (yes it was an HNR) and threw my books at it. we went to the school, told the secretary, and had the police over. This was in grade 6. I gave them the license plate number and a year later they wanted me to testify in court against her. She was like 68 or something. Anyway he's fine but what an ignorant old *****. She just drove away as though nothing had happened, it was like she didn't know that she hit someone- right in front of her.

About the person who ran over her two year old daughter- how could you possibly have the nerve to try and blame Nissan/Infinity with that!? Talk about shifting the blame. They should be shot. Accident or not, why would you be leaving to go somewhere with your 2 yr old on the loose? The very fact that she tried to shift the blame onto Nissan is dispicable.
 
The359
The rear-view camera is an option on both the FX and QX SUVs, as part of their Technology Package of $4200.
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The backup camera is available on the FX (FX35 $7200; FX45 $6800), QX56 ($1100), and standard on the Q45.

Wrong. Blind spots.
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Only idiots have blind spots. Learn to properly adjust mirrors and it shouldn't be an issue.

The only things that should be standard on all vehicles are seat belts, dual front airbags, side curtain airbags, and four-wheel antilock brakes. The first two are already standard and there is no sensible reason why the last one shouldn't be.

I own cars equipped with rear back-up sensors and I hate them to no end; I'd never want them federally required. In situations where backing up is already an issue - a tight parking space with SUVs on either side - they make a potentially high-pressure situation exponentially more difficult with loud beeping. They're among the least-useful safety innovations in cars today.
 
Mirrors cannot see behind your tailgate, especially for a child that's only 2 years old. If they were standing straight up directly behind the tailgate, you'd never see them.
 
The359
Mirrors cannot see behind your tailgate, especially for a child that's only 2 years old. If they were standing straight up directly behind the tailgate, you'd never see them.
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I will grant you that my sole blindspot covers a triangle no higher than two feet and no longer than two and one half feet directly behind my vehicle.
 
The359
Mirrors cannot see behind your tailgate, especially for a child that's only 2 years old. If they were standing straight up directly behind the tailgate, you'd never see them.
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How often could something like this happen?!

Should not there be a responsible person(s) watching over the child? If not then then let darwin do his magic.
 
Except you're not killing off the person that Darwin would kill off, you're killing an innocent child instead.
 
M5Power
The only things that should be standard on all vehicles are seat belts, dual front airbags, side curtain airbags, and four-wheel antilock brakes. The first two are already standard and there is no sensible reason why the last one shouldn't be.
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👍

As long as the front passenger airbag can be disabled in case a child sits there, it's a great safety feature.
 
People already pay virtually no attention to what they are doing when they are behind the wheel. Hey, let's add one more thing they don't have to think about so everyone can have more time to talk on their cellphone, apply makeup, read a magazine, and everything else that simply HAS to be done while driving these days! Every day, driving, one of the things I love most, becomes more and more dangerous and aggrivating for the small percentage of drivers like me, who acutally pay complete attention to the task at hand. Ridiculous!👎
 
CFM
People already pay virtually no attention to what they are doing when they are behind the wheel. Hey, let's add one more thing they don't have to think about so everyone can have more time to talk on their cellphone, apply makeup, read a magazine, and everything else that simply HAS to be done while driving these days! Every day, driving, one of the things I love most, becomes more and more dangerous and aggrivating for the small percentage of drivers like me, who acutally pay complete attention to the task at hand. Ridiculous!👎
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Very true. Another thing that really bothers me are the elderly drivers. Yes, some drive just fine, but I've seen some of them do crazy driving. I've nearly gotten hit by them several times and did get hit once(my only accident,ever). Every incidents has been when they are trying to get on the road from the driveways or parking lots. They see me coming from block or two away, but doesn't move. Just as I'm close enough to get hit, they jump out into me from the side or front of me. Other times, I see them driving 10, 20 miles under the posted speed.

I feel awful saying this, because I know that they have the need to drive just like everybody else in order to get to places. At the same time, they should be tested regularly to see if they still qualify to drive, mentally and physically. They could be putting people's lives in danger, including their own.
 
Today I saw a lady drive off in her Sequoia with the tailgate still up (and no, she didn't do it on purpose—there were only a few groceries in the back). I've seen people so preoccupied with their cell phone conversations that they lose their kids halfway around the parking lot.

You have kids, you take friggin' responsibility for them (as in, make sure you actually know where they are at all times). You also teach them that it's stupid to stand behind a car backing up. Life skills.
 

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