BELTON, Mo. -- It's estimated that dozens of children are backed over by vehicles every week in parking lots and driveways.
According to KidsAndCars.org, 12 children in Kansas and 27 in Missouri have died since 1990 after being backed over. Many more have been hurt.
For more than a century, vehicles have been manufactured without regulations on what the driver should be able to see behind them when backing up.
As of Tuesday, all newly manufactured vehicles to be sold in the U.S. are required to have back up cameras equipped as a standard feature.
"We've worked on this for 15 years and really the true heroes behind this are the families who have lost their children," said Amber Rollins with KidsAndCars.org.
Four years ago, Tara Lamonte nearly lost her son.
"I peered around the corner and I saw my almost 2-year-old running to the vehicle, and all I could do at that point was scream," said Lamonte.
Lamonte said her husband slammed on the brakes after hearing her screams, making her family one of the lucky ones.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on average, every year 226 individuals are killed and over 12,000 are injured in backover crashes.
"There's a blind zone that exists behind every single vehicle and that can be up to 50 feet," said Rollins.
With the new safety standard, Rollins said cameras will allow drivers to see what they couldn't see before.
For older model vehicles, back up camera systems can be purchased online or at Best Buy for around $100.
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