All 2015 Buicks to have rearview cameras
by on May 13, 2014 at 11:48 pm
General Motors, perhaps anticipating regulations that eventually will require it anyway, has announced every 2015 Buick will feature a rearview camera.
According to the press release from GM, part of the impetus for the decision stems from a University of Michigan study into backing crashes. Ninety-seven percent of the backing crashes in the study reportedly involved striking another vehicle. That’s bad enough on its own, but as we’ve discussed before, there are worse backing incidents than a bumper ding from hitting the car parked behind you at the grocery store. The UM study reportedly found that rearview cameras significantly reduced backing crashes.
In the release, Kelley Blue Book Senior Analyst Karl Brauer said, “Rear backup cameras have become like power windows and air conditioning. While they’re not standard on every car, yet, it’s rare to operate a new vehicle without them. The increased confidence these cameras provide make them a must-have feature.”
GM U.S. Vice Presdient of Buick and GMC Duncan Aldred said, “We know our customers are very safety conscious.The current Buick lineup holds many safety accolades, but we are always pushing to be at the forefront with our vehicles being among the safest available.”
Other than rearview cameras, the press release said Buick makes safety a centerpiece of its design, earning the entire lineup an overall five-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety in the New Car Assessment Program run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Buick said active safety technologies including Forward Collision Alert, Side Blind Zone Alert, Lane Departure Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert help drivers avoid crashes, while OnStar Automatic Crash Alert is there to summon help in the event a crash does occur.
GM says all 2015 Buicks will get rearview cameras. Expect their output to look a lot like the display seen here in a 2014 Buick Enclave. (Photo courtesy General Motors)
