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Rear-View Cameras On Cars Could Become Mandatory In the US
According to the Los Angeles Times, "The federal government wants automakers to install back-up cameras in all new vehicles starting in late 2014. The plan, announced Friday, received a strong endorsement from insurance industry and other analysts and is likely to get some level of support from car manufacturers. ... The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that, on average, 292 fatalities and 18,000 injuries occur each year as a result of back-over crashes. The agency said children and the elderly were the most common victims. About 44% of the fatalities in such accidents are children and 33% are people over 70, it said. NHTSA said its proposal was designed to keep drivers from running over pedestrians who might be crossing behind their vehicles. It could also prevent parking-lot bumper thumpers. The camera systems show motorists what's behind them via a video display on the dashboard. They typically feature a bell or alarm that alerts the driver if an object is within the camera's field of view."
That was a different time, and i don't see it being as friendly this time. Government is way out of control now. Also, those cars have not disappeared. i see them every day.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
> No offense, but someone who doesn't even know how to turn their high-beams on probably isn't qualified to be posting about headlight performance.
Okay, well, that's almost offensive on its face, but, as I wasn't posting about headlight performance but rather the distribution of streetlights, none taken.
> If you find it scary to drive at night without high-beams then please stop driving at night, you aren't qualified. ...and that really is kind of offensive. I'm perfectly qualified to drive at night, thank you very much. Although driving at night on roads where there are no streetlights is kind of dangerous, and really no one should be doing it if it can be helped. Btw the road I'm talking about had "exactly zero lights".
> That said, turning your high beams on is an incredibly simple matter...
and I'm not going to bother reading this because, while I'm sure I'll need this again in my life, it will probably be in about 3 years or so and I can guarantee you I won't remember it. And, if it happens that I do expect to need it in the near future, I will pull over and check the car manual.
Btw, I've never driven in Las Vegas, but I'd driven in a number of cities and towns in the US at night. Even smallish towns tend to be well-lit at night. The roads to watch out for, in my experience, are:
1. REALLY small towns, where they sometimes don't actually light the roads.
2. Interstates or state highways.
3. Back roads, like the one I was talking about. These are the worst because they curve so much and can have unexpected intersections with stop signs.
I personally would be most likely to have occasion to travel on (2) at night. And I would actually try to avoid it if I did have such occasion. If you're routinely driving on interstates at night, you have a death wish. Even if you're not sleepy, others on the road might be. And even if they're not sleepy, they might be smugglers. Speeding to avoid the border patrol / police. Without headlights. On the wrong side of the road. Yes, this has happened.
---linuxrocks123
vi ~/.emacs # I'm probably going to Hell for this.