Why rear cameras should be compulsory on all cars

One in four SUVs still lack rear view cameras – even though the technology is now standard on a $14,990 hatchback.

Emma Cockburn, the mother of a 15-month-old killed in a driveway reversing accident four years ago, has renewed calls for rear cameras to become compulsory, as an exclusive study by News Corp Australia reveals one in four SUVs still lack them.

More than 30 of the 125 SUV models on sale today still do not have rear cameras, even though they are standard on the $14,990 Honda Jazz and $15,990 Toyota Yaris hatchbacks, two of the cheapest cars on the market.

Incredibly, a rear camera is a $3600 option on the $54,000 Nissan Patrol diesel and a $2992 option on some Audi SUVs costing more than $63,000 – because in both cases the camera is sold only with a navigation system.

The newest SUV on sale in Australia, the Mazda CX-3 released this week, is the first all-new SUV in more than a year not to have a rear camera on every model; it's a $778 option on the cheapest version but standard on the other three grades.

Most car makers are introducing rear cameras across the range with each new release, but some brands have been slow to adopt the technology even though it has become cheaper.

SUVs and utes are over-represented in driveway deaths: they account for about one third of vehicles sold but are involved in more than 70 per cent of driveway fatalities.

Although she was just a toddler, Georgina Josephine had opened the door from the house to the garage before she was tragically run over in her own driveway; both parents thought she was with the other.

"Parents are ultimately responsible for their children but children have a mind of their own and accidents, tragically, do happen," said Emma Cockburn, who added that Georgina Josephine would have turned five in January and started primary school this year.

The US will make rear-view cameras compulsory on all passenger vehicles from 2018 but Australia currently has no plans to follow suit. 

"Rear vision cameras should not be solely relied on, but they are a useful safety tool, and I still firmly believe they should be standard on every vehicle sold in Australia, regardless of type or price," said Mrs Cockburn.

The US will make rear-view cameras compulsory on all passenger vehicles from 2018 but Australia currently has no plans to follow suit. Figures from Federal safety authorities show almost 100 children aged up to 4 years were killed in driveways or car parks between 2001 and 2010 – about 10 per year – and more than 500 were seriously injured over the same period.

"The technology is out there, it's relatively cheap," says Christine Erskine, the executive officer of Kidsafe NSW. "Although nothing replaces active supervision and knowing exactly where your kids are, we would expect in this day and age that family safety would be a primary focus of family cars, irrespective of price range."

Which SUVs do -- and don't -- have rear-view cameras

(Models without standard camera in italics)

Audi
Audi Q3 1.4 TFSI -- rear camera is $500 option
Audi Q3 2.0 TFSI -- rear camera is $500 option
Audi Q3 2.0 TDI -- rear camera is $500 option
Audi RSQ3 -- rear camera standard since February 2014
Audi A4 Allroad -- rear camera standard since October 2012
Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI -- rear camera is $2992 option
Audi Q5 2.0 TDI -- rear camera is $2992 option
Audi Q5 (other models) -- rear camera standard since November 2011
Audi SQ5 -- rear camera standard since April 2013
Audi A6 Allroad -- rear camera standard since October 2012
Audi Q7 -- rear camera standard since November 2008

BMW
BMW X1 S Drive 20i -- rear camera is $850 option
BMW X1 S Drive 18d -- rear camera is $850 option
BMW X1 (other models) -- rear camera standard since June 2014
BMW X3 -- rear camera standard since April 2014
BMW X4 -- rear camera standard since May 2014
BMW X5 -- rear camera standard since September 2013
BMW X6 -- rear camera standard since October 2014

Ford
Ford Ecosport -- rear camera not available since December 2013 launch
Ford Kuga Ambiente -- rear camera is $1088 option
Ford Kuga Trend -- rear camera is $1088 option
Ford Kuga Titanium -- rear camera standard since February 2012
Ford Territory -- rear camera standard all models since December 2014

Great Wall Motors
Great Wall X200 -- rear camera standard since February 2012 
Great Wall X240 -- rear camera standard since April 2012

Holden
Holden Trax -- rear camera standard since August 2013
Holden Captiva5 -- rear camera not available since October 2006 launch
Holden Captiva7 LS -- rear camera standard since November 2014
Holden Captiva7 LT -- rear camera standard since November 2014
Holden Captiva7 LTZ -- rear camera standard since 2008
Holden Colorado7 LT -- rear camera standard since November 2012
Holden Colorado7 LTZ -- rear camera standard since November 2012

Honda
Honda HR-V -- rear camera standard since February 2015
Honda CR-V -- rear camera standard since November 2012

Hyundai
Hyundai ix35 Active -- rear camera not available
Hyundai ix35 Elite -- rear camera standard since February 2010
Hyundai Santa Fe -- rear camera standard since September 2012

Infiniti
Infiniti QX70 -- rear camera standard since September 2012

Isuzu
Isuzu MU-X LS-U -- rear camera not available
Isuzu MU-X LS-M -- rear camera not available
Isuzu MU-X LS-T -- rear camera standard since December 2013

Jeep
Jeep Cherokee Sport -- rear camera standard since June 2014
Jeep Grand Cherokee -- rear camera standard since June 2014
Jeep Compass Sport -- rear camera standard since June 2013
Jeep Wrangler Sport -- rear camera not available
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon -- rear camera not available
Jeep Wrangler Overland -- rear camera standard since January 2013
Jeep Wrangler Blackhawk -- rear camera standard since September 2014
Jeep Patriot -- rear camera is a $1069 option
Jeep Patriot Limited -- rear camera is a $275 option

Kia
Kia Sportage Si -- rear camera not available
Kia Sportage (other models) -- rear camera standard since July 2014
Kia Sorento – rear camera standard all models since August 2014

Land Rover
Range Rover Vogue -- rear camera standard since November 2012
Range Rover Evoque Pure -- rear camera is a $690 option
Range Rover Evoque Dynamic -- rear camera is a $690 option
Range Rover Evoque Prestige -- rear camera standard since October 2011
Land Rover Discovery TDV6 -- rear camera is a $1050 option
Land Rover Discovery SE -- rear camera standard since November 2009
Land Rover Discovery HSE -- rear camera standard since November 2009
Land Rover Freelander TD4 -- rear camera not available
Land Rover Freelander SE -- rear camera standard since February 2011
Land Rover Freelander HSE -- rear camera standard since February 2011
Land Rover Freelander HSE Luxury -- rear camera standard since February 2011
Land Rover Defender -- rear camera not available since launch in 1948

Lexus
Lexus NX300h -- rear camera standard since October 2014
Lexus NX200T -- rear camera standard since February 2015
Lexus RX270 -- rear camera standard since July 2013
Lexus RX350 -- rear camera standard since February 2009
Lexus RX450h -- rear camera standard since February 2009
Lexus LX570 -- rear camera standard since March 2008

Mazda
Mazda CX-3 Neo -- rear camera $778 option
Mazda CX-3 (other models) -- rear camera standard since March 2015
Mazda CX-5 -- rear camera standard since February 2012
Mazda CX-9 -- rear camera standard since December 2007

Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi ASX LS -- rear camera standard since August 2013
Mitsubishi ASX XLS -- rear camera standard since August 2010

Mitsubishi Outlander ES -- rear camera standard since September 2013
Mitsubishi Outlander LS -- rear camera standard since November 2012
Mitsubishi Outlander Aspire -- rear camera standard since October 2012
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV -- rear camera standard since March 2013

Mitsubishi Challenger 2.5 -- rear camera standard since July 2013
Mitsubishi Challenger LS -- rear camera standard since September 2011

Mitsubishi Pajero GLS -- rear camera standard since August 2014
Mitsubishi Pajero GLX -- rear camera standard since August 2014
Mitsubishi Pajero Exceed -- rear camera standard since December 2008

Mini
Mini Countryman -- rear camera not available since February 2011 launch

Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz GLA -- rear camera standard since April 2014
Mercedes-Benz ML -- rear camera standard since April 2012
Mercedes-Benz GL -- rear camera standard since April 2013
Mercedes-Benz G-Class -- rear camera standard since February 2011

Nissan
Nissan Juke ST -- rear camera not available
Nissan Juke Ti-S -- rear camera standard since October 2013
Nissan Qashqai -- rear camera standard since July 2014
Nissan X-TRAIL -- rear camera standard since April 2014
Nissan Murano ST -- rear camera standard since February 2014
Nissan Pathfinder -- rear camera standard since October 2013
Nissan Patrol V8 -- rear camera standard since February 2013
Nissan Patrol diesel -- -- rear camera is a $3600 option

Peugeot
Peugeot 2008 -- rear camera standard since October 2013
Peugeot 3008 -- rear camera standard since March 2015
Peugeot 4008 -- rear camera standard since May 2012

Porsche
Porsche Macan -- rear camera standard since May 2014
Porsche Cayenne -- rear camera standard since July 2010

Renault
Renault Captur -- rear camera standard since February 2015
Renault Koleos -- rear camera standard since March 2015

Skoda
Skoda Yeti -- rear camera standard since June 2014

Subaru
Subaru XV -- rear camera standard since January 2012
Subaru Forester -- rear camera standard since December 2012
Subaru Outback -- rear camera standard since December 2011

Suzuki
Suzuki Vitara 3 door -- rear camera is $320 option
Suzuki Grand Vitara -- rear camera standard since December 2013

Sssangyong
Ssangyong Korando -- no rear camera available
Ssangyong Rexton -- no rear camera available

Toyota
Toyota RAV4 -- rear camera standard since January 2014
Toyota FJ Cruiser -- rear camera standard since March 2011
Toyota Kluger -- rear camera standard since 2007
Toyota Prado -- rear camera standard since November 2013
Toyota LandCruiser -- rear camera standard since November 2011
Toyota LandCruiser -- -- rear camera not available on GX model

Volkswagen
Volkswagen Tiguan -- rear camera standard since October 2014
Volkswagen Passat Alltrack -- rear camera standard since October 2012
Volkswagen Touareg -- rear camera standard since February 2012

Volvo
Volvo V40 Cross Country -- rear camera standard since August 2013
Volvo XC60 -- rear camera standard since June 2011
Volvo XC70 -- rear camera standard since June 2011
Volvo XC90 -- rear camera standard since June 2011