[Kon-Peki]

I don't agree that backup cameras are mandated (I may be missing some federal regulation, however). The regulations (that I've seen) provide a list rearward visibility tests that the vehicle must pass. There are no modern cars that can pass these tests without a backup camera, but I think that many sedans from the 1980s and maybe even the early 1990s could pass them without backup cameras.

[drewzero1]

I'm preparing to finally part ways with my long-suffering '94 Saturn wagon[0] and I cannot believe what we've given up in rear visibility in the last 30 years. Part of it is definitely safety (and I know how poorly my little wagon and I would fare in any crash) but I think another part of it is the high-belted, steeply sloping styling of newer cars. The Saturn has a tall greenhouse that stays tall all around with a low beltline[1], which looks irredeemably dorky compared to everything on the road today, but it's low enough to see a toddler running behind me while I'm preparing to back up. It makes me a little sad that I will probably never again have the opportunity to drive a car with visibility that good.

0: https://www.theautochannel.com/vehicles/new/reviews/wk9415.1...

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_S_series#/media/File:1s...