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NHTSA Deciding on Rear-View Cameras by the End of Year

Rear-view cameras, a relatively new safety feature, might become standard in vehicles before the end of the year pending a decision by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

These cameras were first introduced in luxury vehicles, but they have started popping up in mid-level cars more often in the past year. The NHTSA is considering making them mandatory in order to decrease vehicle backover accidents and deaths. According to the NHTSA, backover accidents on average cause 183 fatalities and up to 7,419 injuries every year.

The NHTSA were expected to make a decision last month, but they delayed a decision until the end of the year in order to fully explore the issue. In an official statement, they reiterated their commitment to safety and said that they would be surveying thousands of drivers who currently have rear-view cameras to discover the benefits and any potential problems with the technology.

Critics of the rear-view cameras say that the cameras are expensive and problematic. Reflection on the video screens at certain times of the day can impair the driver’s ability to see, and responsible drivers will still want to use the rear-view mirrors in addition to the camera. Still, I am holding out to see what the NHTSA discovers in the next year. Rear-view cameras cannot stop someone from being a bad driver, but maybe it can help stop a capable driver from making a deadly mistake.

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Gas Prices Equal Increase in Used Car Sales

Gas prices may be on the rise, but apparently that’s not going to make an impact on used car sales according to predictions by the National Automobiles Dealers Association (NADA).

The expectation is that the average gas price will peak at $4 a gallon this May.  Normally, when gas prices are high, the average consumer didn’t like getting a car loan to buy a used car.  This year, however, seem to be an exception of the rule.

Jonathan Banks, an analyst with NADA Used Car Guide, says that the rise in gas prices won’t make that big of an impact in their decision.  “Considering consumers have become accustomed to gasoline prices that averaged more than $3.50 last year, this time around we don’t expect to see dramatic shifts in the shopping behavior of consumers for more fuel-efficient vehicles when prices approach the $4 mark.”

He continued on to say that compact cars will be seeing a raise in demand while the SUV, notorious for gas-guzzling, will see a drop.  This is highlighted by the sales in February which were at a four-year high.  Compact vehicles especially are seeing a boost by 16 percent.

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Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net