About 7 years ago, I had a long term rental with a backup camera. I thought it was ridiculous until I started using it to back into parking spaces. I learned to like it so much that I looked forward the having it on my next car after I got home.
1 Like
A couple of weeks ago, as I was walking toward the supermarket entrance from my parking space at the far fringes of the parking lot, I saw an elderly man pull into an area that contained 10 or 12 empty parking spaces–both “front” spaces and “rear” ones. He very carefully & slowly drove forward and backward 3 or 4 times, until he was parked in a “rear” space.
When I exited from the store, he was just ahead of me, so I decided to observe what he did when he drove away, and he definitely didn’t disappoint me. Despite the fact that there was still nobody parked in front of him, he backed-out of his parking space. 
No, there are no tire stops in the parking lot.
3 Likes
As others have noted, even when we get a car with a backup camera, it’s likely we will continue that practice. I avoid backing out as much as possible. It just feels safer, line of sight-wise, to be able to pull forward.
1 Like
I don’t understand. I have a much better view with the backup camera, at the rear end of the car, backing out than I do from my driver’s seat pulling out. Especially if there are a couple of SUVs on either side of me.
Of course the backup camera does make backing out better but pulling out after backing in a parking space is still easier and safer .
3 Likes
I agree with this. Maybe it’s because I don’t have much experience with backup cameras, but my preference is still using my own eyes to make sure I know what’s coming, and where my car is relative to other obstacles. If there’s technology to assist me in that, great. But my go-to option is to rely on my own senses first. The whole “stop, look and listen” approach, whether walking or driving.
1 Like
[post withdrawn by author]
2 Likes
I’m from the age of tapping the cars to the front and rear when necessary to parallel park when bumpers were plated steel. I have replaced the front bumper on my old (1989) S-10 Blazer twice and it had been replaced at least once before I bought it 20 years ago. The last bumper I bought cost me <$100 and was attached with 6 or 8 heavy “bumper” bolts.
I don’t know if this is true for all of those systems, but the image on my dash screen from the rear camera includes colored outlines showing the distance of objects that are relatively close behind me. Green =3-4 feet, yellow means 1-2 feet, and red indicates 1 foot or less.
1 Like
Of course. But if it’s in a better location than my eye, I’ll certainly use it.
3 Likes
It did not really become a problem until tinted windows and so many people switched to driving pickups and SUVs. Our laws were written in the old days when you could see while you were backing out. Now to only one that can see is the one driving down the aisle but the legall obligation is still on the person backing out, I guess the backup cameras will solve that but I hve never driven a car with a backup camera.
It would been very useful to the driver of the roll off truck the backed into me last month.
I find I just can’t even back out of the driveway looking at just the display and have to still try to turn around to see where I’m backing. Almost impossible to see the street with the head rests etc. restricting movement. In parking lots though what I find most helpful is the warning chime when there are a car approaching. Plus if you are parked next to a truck or SUV, you can’t see a thing until you back out a little. So yeah a backup camera is useful, especially now. Just hard to break 60 years of looking behind you when backing.
2 Likes
[post withdrawn by author]
1 Like
IMO, Rear Cross Traffic Alert is one of the more interesting safety systems on newer cars, and I will make sure that my next car has it.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA): MyCarDoesWhat.org
1 Like
quite successfully counterweight with some of our ingenious domestic car makers using backup lights as “convenience lights” (I’m talking you, GM!)
now nobody pays attention to the cars about to back up from the spot as much-much more often they are turned on and stay on for vehicle parked and/or door opened
as a result, I have to be triple-cautious pulling back… so I park backwards to avoid the situation, but ask all the people who barely can get into the spot to do the same??
1 Like
I agree, one of the dumbest changes, turns a warning light into a ‘what are they doing’ light.
1 Like
I’m not sure I quite understand the issue. Did something change? I remember when back up lights were an option you paid extra for. They were always to help see where you were backing at night but never a warning light. Just natural though if you see the lights go on to not walk in back of a car-seems common sense anyway but some still do it.
GM backup lights will turn on not just when you’re in reverse, but other times, too.
1 Like
I also think all vehicles should have warning beeper when in reverse a while back I almost got hit by a EV backing out of a parking space because I could not hear it and did not realize it was moving.
1 Like
[post withdrawn by author]
1 Like