Rear view video camera makes vehicle travel safer

Rear view video camera makes vehicle travel safer, eases backing up concerns

LADY LAKE — Sometimes, the most dangerous part of a 1,000-mile journey can be right in your driveway. If you are trying to back up a van or SUV, or if you have problems turning your neck around far enough to see out the rear window, you might not realize that there is a piece of garden equipment, a toy, a pet, or worse, a loved one behind your vehicle.

In October 2005, “Consumer Reports” measured the blind spots — the spaces behind a car, van or SUV that a driver can’t see — for the Honda Accord, Dodge Grand Caravan, Toyota Sequoia, and the Chevrolet Avalanche, using toddler-high traffic cones.

The results were eye-popping. The blind spots ranged from about 12 feet behind the sedan for a person of normal height (17 feet for a shorter driver) to about 51 feet for a shorter driver behind the biggest vehicle, the Avalanche.

The Centers for Disease Control say that from 2001 through 2003, 7,145 children between the ages of 1 and 14 were treated for nonfatal back-over injuries. KidsandCars.org, a group devoted to child safety, estimates that about 97 children were killed in back-up accidents during 2005 in the

United States

.

One solution to give drivers a better rear view is to install a “back-up camera,” a video camera that transmits an image from behind the car to the driver. Chris Gehman, of Underglass Auto Tech in Lady Lake, added that the cameras are also a convenience for drivers who have medical conditions that make it difficult to turn around to see behind their cars.

“Ford, GM, and Chrysler have programs that will partially reimburse people who have head or neck injuries who drive an SUV or van for adaptive devices, if they have a doctor’s note,” Gehman said. “They (the cameras) can be installed into any car, even a golf cart.”

Gehman said that the back-up cameras can be installed into existing Global Positioning System navigation aids. If there is no GPS system in the car, a small screen can be mounted in the dash, in a visor, or in the rear view mirror.

More sophisticated systems integrate a form of radar to tell drivers how close they are to an object while backing up.

“That way, you know where you are and how close you are,” Gehman said.

The small camera can be positioned in a number of locations. Gehman said his favorite position is just over the license plate. The installation looks like a large license plate light at first glance. It isn’t until you look closer that you realize there is a camera mounted on the car.

“Mounted over the license plate, the camera gives you a view of what’s 3 inches from the ground, out on back to 25 feet. You can see both bumpers,” Gehman said.

A driver sitting in a vehicle with a camera

fastened over the license plate would see the waist and feet of a man standing 3 feet away from the camera.

Gehman also suggested that families with young children could have an additional camera installed in the passenger cabin so parents and grandparents can keep an eye on children in the back seat.

Gehman added that the camera can be mounted high on the back of a van or SUV for a more panoramic view. He said he also has mounted the back-up cameras in the fixture for the third brake light. The cameras adapt to day or night viewing automatically.

Paula Kling, of Lady Lake, received a back-up camera for a Christmas present, and has had it mounted license plate-high on her GMC Yukon for a few weeks.

“I have two toddlers,” Kling said, as she flipped a switch to activate her back-up camera. “We tow a lot of things — a boat, jet skis, and a small trailer. The best part is this lets us check the load, to see what the load is doing,” Kling said. “You can see if someone didn’t fasten the jet skis down right while you are driving, without taking your eyes off the road, and it makes it much easier to maneuver in tight, crowded places. I can hook up the Yukon by myself now.”

Kling admits to being a little skeptical when the camera was first mounted.

“I’m convinced now,” she said. “Where I live, there are so many kids and animals running around, the cost was worth it for the security that I’m not going to back over a kid or an animal.”

Gehman estimated that a back-up camera system, depending on model of vehicle and complexity of the system, would cost $650 to $1,000 and takes less than a day to install.

Donna Riley-Lein is a reporter for the Daily Sun. She can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9255, or donna.riley-lein@thevillagesmedia.com.