October 2007
Car backup cameras
Aftermarket systems add convenience and safety
Accessory backup video systems for cars are becoming widely available with several electronics manufacturers competing in
the market. While the primary mission of these minicams is simply to provide a view to the rear while you're parking or backing
up, they also offer a safety advantage because they can help you to see a child, pet, or hazard.
Our latest round of tests looked at four units. The Hitchcam VideoMirror ($800) and Pyle View PLCM4200 ($200) conceal their video screen within a replacement rearview mirror. Another, the Visor-View ($389), has a large screen mounted on the sun visor. The least expensive, the VR3 VRBCS300W ($150), is a wireless unit that has a small screen that mounts to the dashboard with a suction cup. In all cases, the cameras and screens activate when you put the car in reverse.
We found that performance generally tracked with price--another case of "you get what you pay for." That said, even the worst performers are better than a beeper-type parking aid at seeing objects or people behind the vehicle.
Our previous backup systems test features more than a dozen units still available as of this posting. This latest test uses an updated test methodology. We feel the information and results from both tests are valuable, but caution that the results are not directly comparable.
WHY YOU NEED TO ELIMINATE THE BLIND ZONE
Every year, thousands of children are hurt or killed because a driver backing up didn't see them. The safety advocacy group KIDS AND CARS calculates that two children are killed and 48 are seriously injured this way every week in the United States. For the most part, back-over incidents take place in residential driveways or parking lots and about three-quarters of the time it is a parent or close relative who's behind the wheel.
The main reason that back-over accidents are so frequent is that every vehicle has a rear blind zone--the area you can't see from the driver's seat. And that zone to the rear is bigger than you might think, ranging from about 25 feet for a minivan to 50 feet for some pickup trucks--plenty of space for an unwary child to be in harm's way. (Read: The Danger of Blind Spots.)
Many new cars have proximity sensors that beep with increasing frequency when you back toward solid objects. The sensor systems might work well as parking aids but they aren't informative enough to tip you to the presence of someone, particularly a small child.
Other vehicles have backup cameras incorporated into their ($2,000 to $3,000) navigation system. They're available mostly on high-end cars and SUVs. When you shift into reverse, the nav screen shows a wide-angle or fish-eye view to the rear. Camera systems are much better at revealing objects you could not otherwise see through the windows and mirrors.
Aftermarket sensor and camera systems allow any vehicle to be retrofitted with some sort of warning device.
Our latest round of tests looked at four units. The Hitchcam VideoMirror ($800) and Pyle View PLCM4200 ($200) conceal their video screen within a replacement rearview mirror. Another, the Visor-View ($389), has a large screen mounted on the sun visor. The least expensive, the VR3 VRBCS300W ($150), is a wireless unit that has a small screen that mounts to the dashboard with a suction cup. In all cases, the cameras and screens activate when you put the car in reverse.
We found that performance generally tracked with price--another case of "you get what you pay for." That said, even the worst performers are better than a beeper-type parking aid at seeing objects or people behind the vehicle.
Our previous backup systems test features more than a dozen units still available as of this posting. This latest test uses an updated test methodology. We feel the information and results from both tests are valuable, but caution that the results are not directly comparable.
WHY YOU NEED TO ELIMINATE THE BLIND ZONE
Every year, thousands of children are hurt or killed because a driver backing up didn't see them. The safety advocacy group KIDS AND CARS calculates that two children are killed and 48 are seriously injured this way every week in the United States. For the most part, back-over incidents take place in residential driveways or parking lots and about three-quarters of the time it is a parent or close relative who's behind the wheel.
The main reason that back-over accidents are so frequent is that every vehicle has a rear blind zone--the area you can't see from the driver's seat. And that zone to the rear is bigger than you might think, ranging from about 25 feet for a minivan to 50 feet for some pickup trucks--plenty of space for an unwary child to be in harm's way. (Read: The Danger of Blind Spots.)
Many new cars have proximity sensors that beep with increasing frequency when you back toward solid objects. The sensor systems might work well as parking aids but they aren't informative enough to tip you to the presence of someone, particularly a small child.
Other vehicles have backup cameras incorporated into their ($2,000 to $3,000) navigation system. They're available mostly on high-end cars and SUVs. When you shift into reverse, the nav screen shows a wide-angle or fish-eye view to the rear. Camera systems are much better at revealing objects you could not otherwise see through the windows and mirrors.
Aftermarket sensor and camera systems allow any vehicle to be retrofitted with some sort of warning device.
