LI family turns car back-over tragedy into federal law
SYOSSET, Long Island (WABC) -- It's not always easy to come to terms with mistakes we've made in our lives. Greg Gulbransen of Syosset knows all about that. 16 years ago he accidentally ran over and killed his two-year-old son Cameron in their driveway.
"I'm a pediatrician, I baby proof my house, I go out of my way to make sure children are safe and healthy," Gulbransen told us. "And it happened to me? Ok, guess what? It can happen to anybody. So use my example. I own it, I took responsibility, here it is. Let's channel our grief and get something productive done out of it."
Since then, Gulbransen has been fighting for a federal law requiring cars to have backup cameras. It's estimated by the Center for Auto Safety that 200 people are killed in the U.S. every year in back-over accidents.
Gulbransen united in the fight other families who experienced similar tragedies. They spent time lobbying in Washington, DC to legislators. Gulbransen testified in front of the House Ways and Means Committee. The automobile industry fought back, saying the cameras were too expensive and couldn't be required for every car.
"There were ups and downs and there were times I thought that's it, it's over but as a father, as a parent, you don't give up," Gulbransen said.
The Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act passed in 2008. But it's implementation stalled. It took a lawsuit in 2014 brought forth by Gulbransen to get the law to go into effect, which it did Tuesday. It stipulates that any new or leased vehicle under 10,000 pounds, except motorcycles, must have backup cameras.
Leslie Gulbransen, Cameron's mother, said she takes comfort in the fact that her son's name will live on in the law.
"It's hard to imagine back when he passed away 16 years ago, but maybe that's why he was put on this Earth, that's why he was here, to do some good," said Leslie Gulbransen.
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