There are many advantages to having a backup camera. Backup cameras are not only a cool feature, can be lifesavers as well. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is making backup cameras mandatory, and for good reason. The agency wants to help prevent the 210 fatalities and 15,000 injuries caused each year by back-over vehicle crashes by requiring all vehicles to include standard rearview cameras.
What to Look for in Backup Cameras
Not all backup cameras are equal. With so many systems available, which are the safest? Below are some aspects to think about:
- Lens size and viewing angle: NHTSA sets a baseline of 130 degrees for the lens size on a rearview camera, but a wide-angle camera lens that can view 180 degrees will give you a much better view.
- Guidance lines: Some backup camera systems have an overlay of colored lines on the camera’s image that guide you on how close you are to an object behind your car or truck. This lets you know, for example, that if the car gets to the red line on the screen, you’re about to hit the object. Some guidelines move along with your steering wheel to give you a better sense of if you’ll clear that obstacle. While those are the best, even systems with stationary lines are better than systems without any guidelines.
- Screen location: These are typically located either in-dash or embedded in the rearview mirror. Each approach has its pros and cons: The rearview mirror may offer drivers a vantage point they’re used to, but the visibility may not be as great as on center-mounted in-dash screens, where the images tend to be larger. But dashboard screens require drivers to look down to view the camera and not over their shoulder.
- Parking sensors: These provide an extra layer of protection against hitting an obstacle, but they tend to be found on high-end cars. They’re generally better at picking up stationary objects like trees and poles, meaning that sometimes they go off when there’s no imminent danger of hitting an obstacle and are less sophisticated than cameras when it comes to detecting moving objects such as a child.
Looking for Quality Backup Cameras & Installation Services in the Monmouth County NJ Area?
AutoWorks offers and installs quality backup cameras as well as other car audio & electronics services to towns in the Monmouth County area. Service towns include Middletown, Red Bank, Oceanport, Rumson, Little Silver, Marlboro, Freehold, Dayton, Aberdeen, Manalapan, Point Pleasant, Millstone Township, Long Branch, Spring Lake, Holmdel, Shrewsbury, West Long Branch, Fair Haven, and many more. To learn more about our great products and services. contact us today at 732-671-0225 or visit the website.
