Backup cameras mandatory by 2018

[Boston Fit]

There is always the risk that more people don't get run over than there were supposed to be.

Your $38 million fund has to start somewhere, so let me be the first to offer a nickel.

[Rope-Pusher]

There is always the risk that more people don't get run over than there were supposed to be.

Your $38 million fund has to start somewhere, so let me be the first to offer a nickel.

Oh, the $38M isn't the fund, it's how much of the fund each of the 60 people get in compensation for being careful NOT to get backed-over. We still need to add $140 to the price of all the new vehicles, but the money will just be used for the "Don't get backed-over" incentives. Theoretically, not only are 60 people's lives saved each year, but they are significantly monetarily enhanced! This is much better spending the money on cameras and displays that most people weren't going to pay attention to anyway, right?

[Boston Fit]

Your $38 million fund has to start somewhere, so let me be the first to offer a nickel.

Oh, the $38M isn't the fund, it's how much of the fund each of the 60 people get in compensation for being careful NOT to get backed-over. We still need to add $140 to the price of all the new vehicles, but the money will just be used for the "Don't get backed-over" incentives. Theoretically, not only are 60 people's lives saved each year, but they are significantly monetarily enhanced! This is much better spending the money on cameras and displays that most people weren't going to pay attention to anyway, right?

Tell you what. Not only will I contribute the first nickel, I will also kick in the last one.

[tankinbeans]

I've been thinking about backup cameras, and what might make my life easier in Olie aside from a simple camera. The answer turns out to be fairly low tech, a Plexi-Glas tailgate or similar. That way I can see out the back, but not have to do awkward gymnastics. If you want to get fancy you can go for that electro-chromatic stuff that they use for those novelty toilets in the middle of cities which go clear after a set amount of time. Obviously this would only work in hatchbacks.

[theholycow]

Along those lines, and more realistically, there are various types of mesh tailgate that work great in pickups. I have the TracRac ladder rack system complete with the sliding screen that can be flipped up to protect the window or down as a bed divider. Sometimes if I'm going to do a lot of trailer work I'll remove my tailgate and place the screen at the end of the bed (and place the tailgate in the bed, held by the screen) for better visibility. Simply removing the tailgate (and strapping it in place to prevent loss) would suffice too, obviously.

[tankinbeans]

CD could even get on board with that.

[Squint]

I've been thinking about backup cameras, and what might make my life easier in Olie aside from a simple camera. The answer turns out to be fairly low tech, a Plexi-Glas tailgate or similar. That way I can see out the back, but not have to do awkward gymnastics. If you want to get fancy you can go for that electro-chromatic stuff that they use for those novelty toilets in the middle of cities which go clear after a set amount of time. Obviously this would only work in hatchbacks.

Downside: you have no security/privacy for whatever you put in the boot. People would just stare into your car the whole time. I like the cardboard-esque cover they have in the back of the Fiesta and the cover I had in my wagon. Even if I'm just carrying around a backpack or groceries or whatever I like the extra privacy.

And practically, making an entire hatch door out of plexi-glass/other material is going to be a expensive and not nearly as safe during crashes

/devil's advocate

[theholycow]

And practically, making an entire hatch door out of plexi-glass/other material is going to be a expensive and not nearly as safe during crashes

Small windows would suffice (kinda like those little ones on the lower front portion of the passenger side door of a big rig, just a different shape), and could be tinted or one-way mirror etc.

[watkins]

That wouldnt help in the least in most cases. Rear seats need to be folded and any privacy cover over the trunk space would need to be removed. I almost never have my car configured that way.

[Squint]

That wouldnt help in the least in most cases. Rear seats need to be folded and any privacy cover over the trunk space would need to be removed. I almost never have my car configured that way.

Agreed. And cars are noticeably louder with the rear seats folder down. It's actually impressive how much the rear seats do to reduce road noise.

[watkins]

My rear seats also act as a cross-brace. My car has a lot more flex without the seats locked in place.

[ClutchFork]

If the plexiglass is exposed to the passenger compartment--don't do it. Plexiglass is not safety glass and in an accident will break into nasty pointy big shards that can rip flesh like a hot knife through butter.

[Rope-Pusher]

So how about a clear Plexiglas hood, so off roaders could see where the road is up-close-like.

http://newsroom.jaguarlandrover.com/en- ... gy_090414/

[Rope-Pusher]

Backup Camera Mandate Will Lead to More Electronic Innovation

"The widespread use of backup cameras will also spawn other visibility-based features in the vehicle, Cornyn tells us. Suppliers are already teaming with automakers to create 360-degree visibility by using software to stitch together multiple camera views around the vehicle. The 360-degree technique will enable drivers to see a top-down view around the car, as if a camera were hovering above it. ”Backup cameras are just the first step,” Cornyn said at the recent Freescale Technology Forum in Dallas. “Surround view is definitely the next step.”

He said he also expects Ethernet to play a big role in future vehicles. Ethernet would enable multiple cameras around the vehicle to communicate over a single network, instead of sending signals over point-to-point wiring, as is typically done today. Broadcom Corp., which has teamed with Freescale on the development of such technologies, says that automakers can reduce connectivity costs by 80% and cabling weight by up to 30% by using Ethernet on vehicles.

”Today’s cameras are hard-wired with some pretty expensive cabling,” Cornyn tells us. “Automakers are going to need Ethernet as a way of cheaply networking multiple cameras around the vehicle.” As a result, Ethernet could also see use in automotive audio and back-seat video, he adds."

Honda is rumored to be developing a robot that could open the rear hatch and give the finger to the driver behind you. Back in the old days, we had Trunk Monkeys, and it was good enough for us.

[theholycow]

Honda is rumored to be developing a robot that could open the rear hatch and give the finger to the driver behind you.

Nissan is taking it a step further. They're going to use inter-vehicle communication systems to place a virtual middle finger on the other car's interior LCDs. It's more cost-efficient, safer, and will suffer from lower warranty support costs.