Backup Safety. It really is all about technology.

31% of backing over accidents involve children under the age of five. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), back-over accidents cause around 15,000 injuries a year and 210 deaths.

That’s 4,650 injuries and 65 deaths for children under the age of five.

Additionally, approximately 25% of accidents are caused by poor backing techniques, even though an estimated 90% of driving is going forward, not in reverse.

In fact, according to this article,

“In one recent study, close to 57 percent of drivers in vehicles equipped with back-up cameras avoided backing over a stationary object that had been placed behind the vehicle when they weren’t looking. The March 2014 research report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also found that three-quarters of drivers in vehicles with both rearview cameras and audible sensors avoided a back-over accident.

By contrast, 100 percent of drivers in the IIHS study who were operating vehicles without back-up cameras or audible sensors ran over a child-size stationary object that had been surreptitiously placed behind them, according to David Zuby, chief research officer at the IIHS vehicle research center in Ruckersville, Virginia.

“Our study adds to the body of evidence that’s been building over several years that cameras will help avoid some of these crashes,’ Zuby says.”

So, what’s the solution?

On March 31, 2014, the NHTSA finalized a regulation that will require all passenger vehicles sold or leased in the U.S. to have backup technologies by 2018. For new car owners and future generations, this will hopefully lower the number of accidents, deaths, and injuries caused by backing errors.

But what about now?

Many people still drive older, camera-less vehicles or are unable to pay the extra cost for the cameras on higher end models. For these drivers, options are limited.

That’s where backup safety cameras come in.

Unlike newer cars, which have cameras and monitors built into the actual vehicle, backup safety cameras can be purchased and installed in any car. These cameras usually include one or more cameras, often installed over the license plate, and an in-dash monitor. Some cameras even connect directly to your smartphone.

At xTSS, we have several models of backup cameras available, all designed to improve your driving safety and the safety of those around you.

Use them for fleet vehicles, company vehicles, or personal vehicles and prevent accidents before they happen.