How To Avoid Car Gadgets & Choose the Right Park Assist Technology for Your Driving Safety

Know how the device mounts on your vehicle.

Camera and sensor systems that are mounted on the vehicle’s bumper or bodywork may necessitate drilling. They may not be the best choice if you lease your vehicle. If you have a hitch, you can consider a model that mounts in the trailer-hitch receiver. But you would have to remove the system to use your hitch. Other camera and sensor models mount on the license-plate frame. But some states prohibit frames because they can obscure the plate.

Within types, features vary. This is especially true with the sensor models we tested. The ultrasonic systems were generally the most sensitive, but their performance was adversely affected by rain, snow, or other inclement weather.

The microwave-based sensor systems we tested were not affected by weather but are less sensitive as a group. They also don’t warn the driver unless the vehicle or object behind it is moving.

The display quality of the camera-based models is very good, although it doesn’t match that of the larger screens on some carmakers’ systems. Most of the system displays turn on when the vehicle shifts into reverse, but one, the Audiovox, must be turned off and on manually.

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More than 2,400 children are accidentally backed-up over each year in the U.S.

And of those, more than 100 die. With the proliferation of SUVs and mini-vans, drivers aren't aware of the enormous rear view blind spots that prevent them from seeing what's behind them, especially small objects, animals, people, and children. Some of these blind spots are even greater than the length of an average driveway! Senators Hillary Clinton (D-New York) and John Sununu (R-New Hampshire) have recently proposed legislation requiring the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue regulations aimed at reducing accidents that frequently kill or injure children in cars. But until that legislation is passed, it's up to the driver to protect their loved-ones and prevent a tragedy by using a Park Assist system or a backup camera.

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 2,767 people were treated in emergency rooms from July 2000 through June 2001 because of backovers. "This is a huge problem," Fennell said. "A lot of [the problem] is due to the change in our vehicle mix" that has more people driving tall-profile vehicles, she said.

Indeed, Fennell's research indicates that "in 60 percent of the [backover] cases, it's a truck, van or SUV that's involved," Fennell said. The reduced rearward visibility is caused by the design and tall profile of SUVs, pickup trucks and even vans.

The top edge of the tailgates and liftgates in these vehicles typically sits high and so do the vehicles themselves. This means that unaware children and small-stature adults and anything not tall enough to be visible in the rear window glass might be run over as the vehicle is backing up.

Consumers can choose from a wider range of aftermarket vehicle-backup systems since our last report, including new and improved designs.

All such systems are intended to help drivers detect objects within the blind spot behind the vehicle.

New are camera systems such as the Audiovox and ParkFX we tested that offer a “picture in the mirror” feature. The display is on a mirror that fits on top of or replaces the existing rear-view mirror, so you don’t have to choose between looking at the display and at the rear-view mirror while backing up. ParkFX also combines a camera with an audible sensor, so you can see and hear potential trouble. We would like to see more backup warning systems on the market that combine camera and sensor technologies.

Backup systems are typically marketed as parking aids, not safety equipment. But our tests show that the camera models can also help drivers avoid backover-accident injuries and fatalities.

Are All Blind Spot Mirrors the Same?

No. See Why LaneFX Won the "Drivers Choice" Award by BlindSpotSystems.com

The areas most commonly referred to as blind spots are the rear quarter blind spots, areas towards the rear of the vehicle on both sides. Vehicles in the adjacent lanes of the road may fall into these blind spots, and a driver may be unable to see them using only the car's mirrors.

Other areas that are sometimes called blind spots are those that are too low to see behind and in front of a vehicle. Also, in cases where side vision is hindered, areas to the left or right can become blind spots as well.

Beware of Setting Your Mirrors "Wide"

Mirror alignment is often done incorrectly by drivers. There is a tendency to want to provide context for the side mirror view by having the rear of the driver's own vehicle in the mirror frame. When improperly aligned the side view mirrors widen the perspective offered by rear view mirror, but still not providing full coverage of the blind spot areas around SUV's, light trucks, minivans and even commercial vans.

Even with a head-turn, the driver should continue to look forward, in the direction the car is traveling. This is accomplished by using the correct blind spot mirrors or blind spot detection system. Exaggerated head-turns, where the driver actually faces backward for a moment to check the blind spot, are dangerous because the vehicle in front may come to a sudden stop just at that instant resulting in a rear-end collision.

LATEST NEWS: "Drivaware Releases Preliminary Consumer Survey on Driver Blind Spot Awareness"

Study shows cell phone use decreases driver likelihood to check vehicle's blind spots

The Blind Spot Problem is Becoming Quite Pervasive

Growing Demand for a Practical Solution Seen With Consumers, OEMs and Tier 1 Supplier Community.

The advanced Blind Spot Detection solutions market is now emerging with industry indications of considerable upside, starting with MY06 and MY07 vehicle line-ups.

At Drivaware, we have dedicated considerable product development resources to create, develop and production-ready three innovative Blind Spot Detection systems. While other companies are focused on producing car gadgets, we are focused on the efficiency of the system in terms of driver awareness. Two of these solutions are entirely original innovations, never seen before in the automotive marketplace. More broadly however, each Drivaware Blind Spot Detection solution has a compelling first-to-market advantage in its respective technology.

What You Can't See in Your Mirrors Can Hurt You

The blue car's driver sees the green car through his mirrors but cannot see the red car without turning to check his blind spot. Blind spots, in the context of driving an automobile, are the areas of the road that cannot be seen while looking forward or through either the rear-view or side mirrors. Blind spots can be eliminated by overlapping side and rear-view mirrors, or checked by turning one's head briefly, or by adding another mirror with a larger field of view. Detection of vehicles or other objects in blind spots may also be aided by systems such as video cameras or distance sensors, though these are not common in automobiles sold to the general public.