Many people across the US are concerned about elderly drivers, and have been for quite some time. Along with drivers under the age of 25, the elderly are more likely to have car accidents due to impaired vision and a slow response time. Those involved in a fatal car crash are also more likely to die because of their frailty. The concern of older drivers has led many to petition for a re-test for elderly drivers. While I do believe this is a good idea, it will seem like age discrimination to many. Therefore, maybe everyone should be forced to re-take his driving test every few years. We are all quite aware of how many poor drivers there are on the roads!
Unfortunately, these rules and regulations don’t exist yet, but in an effort to increase safety, elderly drivers should invest in a backup camera system. It may not do anything to improve their arthritis or quicken their reflexes, but it can help them see better on the road. Of course it may take some getting used to if they’re not familiar with current technology, but it’s a step in the right direction. Talk to the elderly members of your family if it’s safe for them to be driving and if a vehicle backup camera could help.
The NHTSA is talking about making backup camera systems on all cars by the year 2014. It appears Ford is already one step ahead of the government and is currently working on installing rear view cameras on all their cars by 2012. Both Ford and Lincoln cars, including trucks, SUVs, and sedans, will have cameras by the end of 2011. Safety is the number one concern among all drivers. A driver’s blind spot is a danger zone and an accident waiting to happen.
“Ford is making new innovations such as the Rear View Camera System available to a wide range of customers in most of our vehicles to help them see better when reversing,” said Jim Buczkowski, director of electrical and electronics systems engineering at Ford. Ford uses an exterior camera in the rear of the vehicle which sends the video image to either the rear view mirror or the on-screen navigation system. The camera also displays lines to show the width of the car to make parking easier. It is low-light capable, meaning you can still use the camera at night.
It’s great that Ford-Lincoln wants to stay ahead of the curve in car safety. Until then, you can purchase a vehicle backup camera from Rear View Safety.
Even though winter doesn’t technically start until mid-December, us folks up here in the north are already feeling the icy cold breath of winter. My prediction is snow for New York by the end of the month. With snow comes a lot of dangerous driving conditions –icy roads, snow covered objects, people shoveling, and kids attempting to build snowmen. Christmas and Hanukkah are also right around the corner and that means gift giving!
So what better gift could you possibly give this holiday season than a backup camera system. Not only does it make a great gift year round, it’s even better during the snowy winter conditions. A vehicle backup camera can save you from backing up into that slushy pile of ice. The roads will be hard enough to navigate as it is and parking will be tougher than ever.
I really loathe driving in the snow and I avoid it at all costs. But sometimes, you have to venture out into that mess. A backup camera can give me a little bit of peace as a I navigate the roads. I’ll still have my hands clenched tightly on the steering wheel, but I can loosen them up a tad as I park the car. So give the gift of safety this holiday season!
Back in 2008, Nissan released quite possibly one of the coolest backup camera systems on the market, the Around View Monitor. This advanced system actually uses four cameras to create a complete 360 degree bird’s eye view. The cameras are located on the front and back of the car and on each side of the car. The four images are then converted to show a virtual image so you can easily park the car. Of course you can choose to view specific cameras instead. The sensors on the car will also beep to alert you of nearby objects.
This backup camera system debuted over two years ago and you would think more cars would start using this technology. However, it seems to still be one-of-a-kind and only featured on select Nissan models. Backup cameras are still a luxury item for most cars and hopefully they become a standard on all cars soon. They can help prevent accidents and ease the tension people feel when forced to parallel park. Not all of us have quite mastered that fine art.
Safety measures should never have to cost extra, but until they become a standard, you can find a selection of affordable backup camera systems at Rearview Safety.
Fans of Seinfeld may recall the episode “The Parking Space” where George is about to parallel park into the perfect spot but Jerry’s friend Mike begins to enter the spot front first. The entire episode revolves around George and Mike arguing if it is possible to go head first into the spot. Eventually people on the street become involved in this infamous debate as well. Although I agree that George took too long to parallel park, Mike would have never been able to go in head first.
You know what could have solved this problem? A backup camera system! If only the backup camera system had been around in 1992, Jerry probably wouldn’t have missed the big boxing match on TV that night. George would have seen Mike coming and could have spent less time bragging to Elaine about his exceptional parallel parking skills.
Don’t let yourself get caught in a situation like this one. Not even the police could solve their dilemma. If you have a backup camera, you will be able to parallel park with ease. Many cars also come equipped with sensors which will alert you when you are too close to another car or object. This investment can save you from wasted afternoons arguing in the streets of New York City.
Last week we discussed how a backup camera system is a must-have for student drivers, especially when learning how to parallel park. However, I’m not a student driver anymore and I still can’t parallel park to save my life. I think the only reason I passed that part of the driving exam was because there had been a snow storm just a day or two before my test. There was still a lot of snow along the curb, making it easy for me to get close to the snow rather than the hidden curb. Parallel parking frightens me and I avoid it at all costs. I’d rather park blocks away from my destination just to circumvent this obstacle. It’s more comforting to walk a few extra blocks than have the misfortune of hitting someone’s car.
Thankfully, technology has helped me get over my parallel parking phobia. With a brand new backup camera system installed in my car, parking is a breeze. The camera even has night vision! If only I had this system installed sooner. I could have enjoyed the splendor of finding that perfect spot right up front. I also don’t have to waste money on parking garages when driving around the city because we all know you can’t survive in New York City without mastering this delicate art. I heart technology.
When I was learning to drive, I really wish my parents has a backup camera system in the car. I felt pretty confident with most of the standard driving maneuvers. I changed lanes like a pro, obeyed the road rules (no changing lanes on solid lines), and slid into parking spaces like a valet driver. But there were two things I just couldn’t master: backing up the car, and of course, parallel parking.
When I was at the mall with my mother one day, she told me to drive, and I was thrilled since it was all so new still. But as soon as I got behind the wheel, I froze. How was I supposed to back out of the parking spot? I couldn’t see behind me!
And then the parallel parking! Ugh! I just couldn’t figure out how to squeeze into a spot without clipping the car behind me. Eventually I learned (with the help of a professional driving instructor), but I couldn’t help but wonder how much easier it would’ve been if I had a back up camera system…
Since our post two weeks ago about several accidents that involved a vehicle backing-up, a handful more of the same nature have occurred. Last Saturday, a man in Oklahoma was killed when a dump truck backed into him. That same day, in Colorado, a furniture truck backed into two women, killing one. That Monday, a farm truck in California backed up killed one man and injured another. In Iowa on Tuesday, an elderly man was struck by a backing up garbage truck while out for a walk. On Wednesday, a highschooler in Florida was hit by a woman picking up her grandchildren from school; the victim’s leg was severed. That same night, in Georgia, a man was pinned against a loading dock by a trailer, the driver of whom was unaware that anyone was back there. The victim died later in the hospital from his injuries.
In just five days, eight people were injured by backing-up vehicles, four of whom died from their injuries. It’s not certain that back-up camera systems could have prevented them, but there’s a good chance that most, if not all of these accidents were due to blind spots, which a vehicle back-up camera could eliminate.
More and more vehicles are being built to feature back-up camera systems; automobile manufacturers recognize how integral they are to making driving as safe as possible, which is great for those of you out there who plan on buying a new car soon.
However, for those of you who aren’t, it’s just as easy to have a back-up camera system installed in a vehicle that wasn’t designed with one in mind. It might not seem worth it, especially if you’ve never been in an accident before, but it’s always a possibility, no matter how careful a driver you are. I’ve always been an extremely cautious driver, but a couple years back I backed up over the neighbor’s cat in my van, simply because I couldn’t see him in time. It could have been much worse — it could have been one of their kids — but I still felt really awful about it. For weeks I was anxious every time I had to back up in my van — it wasn’t long before my kids were rolling their eyes every time I asked them to just pop out and take a peek to make sure there were no rogue animals lingering in the driveway (or the grocery market parking lot). Finally, my wife told me to have a back-up camera system installed in the van to help put my mind at ease. I still get a bit nervous every so often, but I feel a lot better with that extra precaution.
The worst kind of accident is the kind that could have been easily avoided — back-up automobile accidents fall into that category. Too often do people blindly back up their cars, thinking they’re in the clear when really they’re not. Just last week a toddler in north Caddo Parish, LA, was killed when his uncle backed up in his large pickup truck and struck the child, and yesterday in Mangilao, Guam, a 2-year-old boy was struck when his mother was backing up her van. He’s in serious condition in the pediatric ICU.
Last month, in Carlsbad, CA, an elderly woman was pinned between two cars — one was parked, the other had been backing up. The driver didn’t notice the woman and kept backing up; after a moment the victim was unpinned and fell to the ground.
While many accidents are the result of blatant carelessness — texting, drugs, alcohol — these accidents surely could have been avoided had the drivers had a backup camera installed. They would have had an easily viewable screen showing exactly what was happening behind them and known that there were people back there. Any automobile — especially vans, pickup trucks or any other large vehicle — can benefit from a backup camera system.
Many people across the US are concerned about elderly drivers, and have been for quite some time. Along with drivers under the age of 25, the elderly are more likely to have car accidents due to impaired vision and a slow response time. Those involved in a fatal car crash are also more likely to die because of their frailty. The concern of older drivers has led many to petition for a re-test for elderly drivers. While I do believe this is a good idea, it will seem like age discrimination to many. Therefore, maybe everyone should be forced to re-take his driving test every few years. We are all quite aware of how many poor drivers there are on the roads!
Since our 
