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Instead of a camera to distract a person and force you to take your eyes off your mirrors and such, why not an audible alarm that pings like a door open, or sharper sound. They have sensors out there now that will do that when you get too close to an object. Expand that project so that it doesn't have blind spots and make a noise to let you know there is something you didn't see.
Now that makes far more sense. Anything that requires the driver to look inside the vehicle for more than a moment while it is moving is a distraction, and a dangerous one at that.
Isn't everyone taught to always look behind you when you back up? How can you do that when your face is glued to a display inside and below the line of sight for driving? With your head down you can't even notice someone walking in front of the car if you decide to move forward just a bit (people do that all the time, back up and then stop and inch forward for whatever reason).
Sure, you're supposed to look up and forward before you drive forward. We're talking about the same people who don't look around their car before driving over their kids. How does that work?
How do you know I haven't experienced the impaired view in modern vehicles?
Because you're still under the mistaken impression that today's rising beltlines and thick C/D pillars deliver the same excellent sightlines as cars from the 80s and 90s and somehow a camera doesn't improve your field of view.
Get back to me when you've driven a 2005 or later, so you can see what all the wonderful new "safety" and crash-worthiness regulations have done to pillar and beltline design. I wouldn't drive most of the cars out there today WITHOUT a camera. The rearward visibility just isn't there anymore.
Because you're still under the mistaken impression that today's rising beltlines and thick C/D pillars deliver the same excellent sightlines as cars from the 80s and 90s and somehow a camera doesn't improve your field of view.
Get back to me when you've driven a 2005 or later, so you can see what all the wonderful new "safety" and crash-worthiness regulations have done to pillar and beltline design. I wouldn't drive most of the cars out there today WITHOUT a camera. The rearward visibility just isn't there anymore.
No problem seeing out the back of my 2008 Mazda3. That said, my mom is beginning to lose peripheral vision which makes backing up an issue since her mobility/flexibility isn't great either. For old people with poor eyesight who can't twist in the seat to see behind them, I can definitely see the advantage there. Also for the people that are too lazy to look, cameras are okay, I guess. And they're really nice if like me you're not very good at backing up fifth wheel trailers since you don't do it very often.
Now that makes far more sense. Anything that requires the driver to look inside the vehicle for more than a moment while it is moving is a distraction, and a dangerous one at that.
Isn't everyone taught to always look behind you when you back up? How can you do that when your face is glued to a display inside and below the line of sight for driving? With your head down you can't even notice someone walking in front of the car if you decide to move forward just a bit (people do that all the time, back up and then stop and inch forward for whatever reason).
Sure, you're supposed to look up and forward before you drive forward. We're talking about the same people who don't look around their car before driving over their kids. How does that work?
How close do you think people have to get to the screen? Some backup cameras even have the monitor inside the rear view mirror so you're literally looking at the windshield. I don't know about you, but when I'm sitting in the driver's seat and looking at the radio I can see out the front windshield with my peripheral vision. Well enough to see a car or person walking in front of my car, anyway.
Ever driven a pickup truck? You can be looking over your shoulder and can't see anything below the tailgate. It's even worse if the truck has a canopy. Vans and SUVs with high rear windows also have rear visibility issues.
How close do you think people have to get to the screen? Some backup cameras even have the monitor inside the rear view mirror so you're literally looking at the windshield. I don't know about you, but when I'm sitting in the driver's seat and looking at the radio I can see out the front windshield with my peripheral vision. Well enough to see a car or person walking in front of my car, anyway.
Ever driven a pickup truck? You can be looking over your shoulder and can't see anything below the tailgate. It's even worse if the truck has a canopy. Vans and SUVs with high rear windows also have rear visibility issues.
Then YOU should buy one, because you obviously feel you need one. But don't force me, by law, to have to buy one. I was taught to walk around my vehicle to make sure it's clear and that includes looking around the area to see if there are kids playing, or coming down the sidewalk, etc... I've never backed into anything in my life and I have been driving for over 46 years.
Then YOU should buy one, because you obviously feel you need one. But don't force me, by law, to have to buy one. I was taught to walk around my vehicle to make sure it's clear and that includes looking around the area to see if there are kids playing, or coming down the sidewalk, etc... I've never backed into anything in my life and I have been driving for over 46 years.
I'm not forcing anyone to buy anything. No one is forcing you to buy a new car with a camera, either. All I did was point out that the argument you can't see out the windshield while looking at the screen is bogus. If you're so nearsighted you have to get right up to the screen to the point where it blocks everything else, you shouldn't be driving without glasses or contacts anyway.
Over time backup cameras will be just like any other safety advancement. Seat belts, air bags, brake lights, safety glass, headlights and collapsible steering columns all went through the same process. People said they didn't need them because they were safe drivers. Some people will complain about the cost at first, then they'll see how useful they are and come to depend on them, and 30 years from now everyone will wonder how people ever drove without them.
I used to think like this until I started driving a pickup truck. I've backed into things like garbage cans and those short green poles that guard backup generators. I also broke off the electrical connection for my hitch this winter by backing into a small pile of snow. I can see how a backup camera could be useful in certain situations.
I've driven pickups including ones that sit quite high and while a camera could have been more useful. I backed out just fine. So a few useful situations shouldn't mean mandatory. I hold myself more accountable in terms of driving cognizance and ability though.
Seems like most new cars how have standard back up camera.
At the very least it's available as an option. With mine it was standard on any model with the upgraded stereo (the one with the 7 inch color screen that could show the camera image). They are very useful for additional visibility. I confess I wouldn't mind having a radar/sonar range sensor-beeper thing to supplement it, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd rather have the camera. The rear window on my Mazda3 (2014) is just useless for backing up, the camera provides a much better field of view, and won't be blocked by those two big honkin SUVs on each side of you.
Seems like most new cars how have standard back up camera.
Even beginning to come standard, ala the new Fit which is a very low end car but one that Honda doesn't want to have to redesign in three years for 2018. We'll see what the price difference is over the old cars $15,425 base.
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