My Lords, no amendments were moved.

Cars (Back-up Camera and Alert) Bill

A

BILL

TO

Make the instalment of back-up cameras and alerts on new cars mandatory by 2025.

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Section 1: Interpretations

1. A “new car” means a motor car that was manufactured after the date of which this act comes into force.
2. A “Motor car” has the meaning given in the Road Traffic Act 1988.
3. A “back-up camera” is a live camera that is part of the car’s original manufacture to the rear of a car that is displayed to the driver on the dashboard.
4. An “alert” is an audible sound that informs the driver of a car when they are nearing an obstacle while reversing.

Section 2: Back-up Camera and Alert

1. Subject to the provisions of this section no person shall supply a new car that is not fitted with a back-up camera and alert system.
2. In this section references to supply include—

(a) sell, (b) offer to sell or supply, and (c) expose for sale.

3) A person who supplies a new car that is not fitted with a back-up camera and alert system is guilty of an offence.

4) A person shall not be convicted of an offence under this section if they prove—

(a) that the vehicle was supplied for export from Great Britain, or (b) that they had reasonable cause to believe that the vehicle would not be used on a road in Great Britain, or would not be so used until it had been put into a condition in which it might lawfully be so used.

5) Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) above shall not apply in relation to a person who, in the course of a trade or business—

(a) exposes a vehicle for sale, unless they also prove that they took all reasonable steps to ensure that any prospective purchaser would be aware that its use in its current condition on a road in Great Britain would be unlawful, or (b) offers to sell a vehicle, unless they also prove that they took all reasonable steps to ensure that the person to whom the offer was made was aware of that fact.

6) The back-up camera will show at minimum 4 metres behind the vehicle, clearly marking each metre on the screen.

7) The screen shall not obscure the driver's ability to look out the windscreen.

8) The alert shall change in volume, or sound, as the distance between the rear of the vehicle and an obstacle decreases. As the driver approaches the obstacle such a change shall be:

(a) An increase in volume; (b) A shorter time delay between beeps.

Section 3: Amendment to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988

1. Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 is amended as follows.
2. After the sub-heading "Offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988", insert a new sub-heading "Offences under the Cars (Back-up Camera and Alert) Act 2022".
3. In the sub-heading created by subsection (2) above, insert the following new entries--

Section 4: Extent, commencement, and short title

(1) This Act extends to England, Wales and Scotland.

(2) The provisions of this Act shall come into force on the 1st January 2025.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Cars (Back-up Camera and Alert) Act.

This Bill was written by The Right Honourable Sir /u/model-ceasar KP OM PC MP MSP, Secretary of State for the Home Department, Member of Parliament for Kent, Deputy Leader of Coalition! on behalf of the 30th Government

Deputy Speaker,

I wrote this bill while I was still the Transport Secretary and I am glad that it has now reached the House for debate. This bill is quite a simple one really: it makes it mandatory for new cars to have a back-up camera and alert system. I made it my priority to make the roads and our transport safer as Transport Secretary and I started with the repealing of the Statutory Instrument that made car lights duller. This was just another step on that journey of making cars and roads safer.

By having back-up camera and alert systems on every car it will reduce the chance of an accident occurring when a person is reversing their car. They will be able to see out the back of their vehicle using the camera with ease, and will be able to see more of what is behind them than without the camera. The alert system audibly warns the driver when they are too close to an object behind them so that the driver can react and stop the vehicle.

While most reversing is done at low speeds and accidents are not life threatening, accidents still do occur. These accidents can be minimised and reduced by the implementation of this bill, preventing injuries and damage to property. I hope I can see most of the House in the Aye lobby to support this bill and prevent accidents as much as we can.

This division shall end on the 28th September at 10pm BST.