Among safety features on modern vehicles, back-up cameras (sometimes called reverse cameras or rearview cameras) are one of the most recent to be added. Side and rearview mirrors simply aren’t capable of providing a complete picture of what is directly behind you, and that’s where back-up cameras fill the gap.
Kids and Cars.org estimates that over 2500 children every year in the U.S. are struck by a vehicle operating in reverse; some of these incidents are fatal yet completely avoidable. SUVs are four times as likely to cause accidents like these because of their high stance and more limited rear visibility.
Our goal in this article is to outline the safety benefits of installing a back-up camera on a vehicle that isn’t equipped with one, and how it can increase the safety of both yourself and others.
Avoid striking children in reverse
This is definitely the most important and impactful benefit of installing a backup camera. 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.
Parallel parking
A large percentage of drivers have yet to master the technique of parallel parking, and backup cameras provide invaluable assistance with parallel parking to help you see exactly how much wiggle room you have while entering a tight space. This reduces your chances of accidental damaging to your vehicle and someone else’s.
Hooking up a trailer
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 cinch. Skip the multiple attempts and reverse to the exact spot you need to be the first time. You can save your trailer and rear bumper from dings and scratches, and save yourself time as well.
Overall, these cameras are a fantastic feature to have for increase safety as well as time savings and damage prevention. For more information on our camera systems, call DeDona Tint & Sound at (336) 851-1300.