Right now, many vehicles on American roads are equipped with backup warning systems, a type of indicator that makes either an audible warning or a vibration when an object is sensed behind a car and the car is in reverse. Unlike a backup camera, there is no view of the obstruction broadcast to the driver’s attention; instead, sensors detect the presence of a hazard and alert a driver who should then investigate further.
Backup warnings can be the difference between a close call and an accident as the reminder they issue can alert an otherwise distracted driver to the conditions behind her car. In other instances, a driver may be paying as much attention as possible while backing up but may be unable to see something in the blind spot behind a car. Or there are situations where a child may run into the path of a backing vehicle without a driver’s ability to see the child due to the height of a rear windshield and the relative height of the minor.
Backup warning systems are active once a vehicle is placed in reverse. At that time, sensors scan the area immediately behind a car and to the ground in an effort to detect whether anything may be in the vehicle’s path once it begins to move. If an object is detected, the system will either make an audible noise or will vibrate, commonly in the steering wheel or gear shift, to get the driver’s attention. It is then up to a driver to determine whether it is safe to proceed.
Backup sensors and a warning system are not a substitute for contentious driving. In fact, these systems are designed as a double check on safety and should only be used in addition to the skills needed to backup without warnings. Therefore, all drivers must check their surroundings before moving their vehicles and must physically check the area behind a car if a sensor is triggered.
Backover car accidents result in serious, even fatal injuries to many people each year but the predominant victims are very young children. According to national statistics, approximately 50 children are involved in backover car accidents each week and 48 of them require emergency treatment in a hospital or other setting. Tragically, in approximately 70 percent of backover crashes, a parent or other adult relative is operating the vehicle that ends up striking a child.
Increasing awareness of your surroundings and utilizing technology like backup warning systems are ways to improve safety and reduce the risk of injuries to children and minors, according to experts.
If your family has been affected by a backover car accident in the Phoenix area or if someone you love was injured or killed, make sure you understand whether you are entitled to legal relief for your damages. Know that the personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. are standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take your call toll free and to provide you with a consultation about your accident. There is no cost to you and no obligation on your part for speaking with one of our lawyers so call us today toll free at (855) PHX-LAWYER or locally at (602) 819-5191 and let us get to work for you.
Prior Blog Entry:
School Bus Driver Arrested on Charges of DUI, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published December 14, 2015.