Among the available safety features on today’s vehicles, backup cameras (otherwise called reverse cameras or rearview cameras) are one of the most recent to be added but are quickly becoming an essential part of everyday driving. Side and rearview mirrors simply aren’t able to provide a complete picture of what is happening all around you, and that’s where backup cameras show their true usefulness.
It is estimated that over 2,500 children in the U.S. are struck by a vehicle operating in reverse every year. A significant portion of these incidents are fatal, however completely avoidable with the proper features. SUVs are four times more likely to cause accidents like these because of their high stance and more limited rear visibility.
Avoid backing into children and pedestrians
This is arguably the primary benefit of installing a backup camera in your vehicle. In larger vehicles, particularly larger SUVs, vans and trucks, without a backup camera your blind spot can extended 20 feet or more behind your vehicle. If a small child is standing anywhere in that blind spot behind your vehicle, you may not realize he or she is there until it is too late. Backup cameras allow you to see, at low level, what is directly behind you so that accidents like this won’t happen.
Making parallel parking safer
It’s no secret that many drivers struggle with parallel parking especially in a larger vehicle. Backup cameras provide invaluable assistance with parallel parking by allowing the driver to see exactly how much room is available when entering a tight space. This reduces the likelihood of accidental damage to your vehicle or someone else’s.
Hook up a trailer more easily
Backup cameras also make hooking up to a trailer much safer, and aligning your vehicle’s hitch with the trailer’s coupler or ball socket becomes a much simpler task. Because you can see precisely how your vehicle and trailer are aligned, you can reverse to the sweet spot the first time. You can also save your trailer and rear bumper from dings and scratches, not to mention a lot of wasted time.
Backup cameras simply make driving easier, more relaxed, and most importantly safer for you and everyone around you. These cameras are a fantastic feature to have for increase safety as well as time savings and damage prevention. If you are interested in installing a backup camera system in your vehicle, give us a call at (336) 851-1300 for more information on our available systems and to request a free quote!
