How about designing cars with visibility behind them?

I notice the kids don’t see hazards (pedestrians) as well on the car with a backup camera as they do in the car that requires you to physically turn around.

The original backup camera was on the Prius because it had a huge blind spot, this fix should have been to th blind spot, not the degraded function of a fisheye lense and a driver facing forward.

I think backup cameras have surpassed the mirrors in a lot of cases. I'm just surprised it hasn't progressed faster and further. Why every car doesn't have the option of an around-view top-down backup system is puzzling.

I find the kids (n=3) make more steering mistakes and see less when looking forward at the screen compared to turning around.

I think the physical action of tuning is a somatic trigger that the steering is different and to swivel the head around for hazards.

In driver's ed we were taught to put our right hand behind the passenger seat whenever looking back to go in reverse. As if to reinforce the modal/perspective change.

Exactly but the kids want to just stare at the screen

Similarly, antilock braking systems (ABS) can have real safety effects if you know how to use the system [0] (though it looks like the effects are insignificant on a population level, as a lot of drivers don't know how to use it) [1].

However, I hear the point of the parent comment that the writing prefers an aesthetic/tactile experience of driving cars in the traditional way with minimal assistive technology (though I personally think that modern vehicles typically give you more control over your car).

[0] https://mycardoeswhat.org/safety-features/anti-lock-braking-...

[1] https://doi.org/10.1016/s0001-4575(01)00032-x

To be fair, cars normally don't "need" a backup camera, it is only really essential in bigger bulkier vehicles like trucks and SUVs.

It's a nice addition sure, but hardly a necessity.