Best practice in backing up a car with rear view camera?

That's not easy - my FORD seats have quite a curve near the shoulder (they tell me they're "body-hugging") basically making it difficult to physically turn, and my neck isn't young any more either, so mirrors (& reversing camera till it died recently).

 

Ok white it is Red long order

 

Yes, the rear view camera is VERY wide making distances hard to judge with the camera. I also have had a difficult time learning the best way to back up with the car because of the unique profile of the car. The camera is helpful being that it shows so much but being its so wide, its hard to judge distances and generally I am looking like a crazy person trying to back up. I am coming from a Matrix with no backup camera and I used to have no issues backing up the car all the time

 

I'd second that, regarding our 3rd gen. It's funhouse wide angle, you can be inches from something, still looks to be about a yard away.

 

I tried using just the camera and the yellow/red etc guides for a while - but I reverted to using the RV mirrors mainly, just using glances to the camera to check that nobody/thing has moved into the way, and to see the final closeness of berthing.

 

Only for cross traffic and parking mode/maybe. It will detect some people and not others ( only the fat ones). Backing up is the weak part of this car.

Have almost run over several people and people are very stupid. Like lets walk in back of a moving car real slow and see if he stops. Also in the middle of the road.

 

Oh, don't get me started with morons in parking lots. When you see a car backing out, stop and let them do so safely! DO NOT walk in their way either!

I use the rear camera on Pearl S (GIII) to get up to the parking "end line". That's it. It's pretty useless for anything else. I use the mirrors and turn around and look for actually seeing what's back there. Sunlight in the morning and evening can make the screen useless as well. I find the ultrasonic devices on the FJ Cruiser much more useful. They even "see" narrow poles!
The worst is actually pulling forward to those concrete blocks. I never know when to stop so I don't plane off the aero devices under the front of the car. I prefer to back in (I've already seen what's there before I do so) rather than back out, and "pull through" is best.

Watched two ladies at the grocery store back out into each other. Was in the car and didn't notice until it was too late to warn them.

 

I find that when I'm backing in with the camera I look primarily at the camera and I check all of my mirrors every couple of seconds. I also tend to back up very slowly when using the camera. When I actually turn my head around to look instead of using the camera I can park much faster.

 

Agreed. It's very strange at first, but trust me - you will get used to it. And like Mister M you'll be glancing to your mirrors just like before whenever there's doubt. Good luck with the car.

 

Of course you should check your mirrors, but the backup camera gives a wider, and less obstructed view than any of the mirrors or the rear window. It's the safest backup aid. When I parallel park, I still have to rely on my right mirror, tilted down, to see the curb, but otherwise, the backup camera is the way to go.

 

Sure it is, but perhaps those of us who have been familiar with reversing cameras for some time now do it anyway. Perhaps Rob is not as familiar yet and can use help and suggestions from others.

 

after having backed into the rear door of a merc while looking over my shoulder, i'm rethinking my strategy.

 

Not quite in topic, but I reversed into my son in law's mpg which was parked in my driveway. Best part was he was sat beside me at the time. The reverse parking sensor was blessing but I'd stopped in the gateway while we had a debate over whether I should park in a neighbour's driveway while they were away on vacation. He said no and ......

... only lost 4 years no claim bonus!

 

yep same here. 3 years maybe, not positive, and a surcharge. and the car i backed into was in a no parking zone.

 

My father backed into my car many years ago. I had an old Mitsubishi - I was just annoyed he didn't back into the other (rusty) corner so I could get that fixed. He'd damaged his car far more than mine.

 

Backup camera is great for seeing how close you are, but you're tunnel blind while starring at the dash. Looking at mirrors gives you peripheral information on what the front of the car is doing.