Car Parts 2011

Imagine a world where a driver doesn't need to turn his head in order to be a safe, responsible motorist.  Well, that world will soon be here starting around 2014 when the NHTSA wants to mandate rear-facing cameras for all passenger cars under 10,000 pounds.  This in addition to the proliferation of blind spot detection technology means drivers of the future can be as clueless about their surroundings as they want to be.

Call me old fashioned but I like to know what's around me when I'm bombing down some rural twisties, slogging through city traffic, or cruising on a holiday congested highway.  That is to say, I ALWAYS like knowing what's around me when driving.  While learning how to drive, I was yelled at time and time again to check my blind spots - quickly and thoroughly - before changing lanes. 

Is making rear facing cameras mandatory a reflection of our overbearing government or of the drivers in this country?  I would tend to think that this is a reactionary move by the NHTSA.  If this is the case, it's time for all you Big Mac eating, cell phone talking, leg out the window driving ass-hats to watch the road all around you and drive properly!  The constant influx of needless technology into new cars is making each subsequent generation of the automobile heavier which is costing us money, fuel mileage, and performance.