How essential is rear camera?

This isn't a safety issue that lawmakers need to worry about. The real priority should be in adding noisemakers to the Prius so that we can reduce the number of blind-pedestrian deaths caused by the Prius from zero per year down to ....
:rant:

.... end of sarcasm.

 

I also find the camera useful but I also find it limiting.

If I look at the MFD and see that it is all clear, I sometimes forget to look to the rear left and right (blind spots from the camera's point of view) and twice, I almost got nailed because I was busy watching the camera's view.

Dumb yes, but some thing to think about.

It has its benefits and is fun to use, but I would not rely on the camera by itself. Especially when you have a car on your left and right and are backing out at most shopping malls.

Also, as a side note, I noticed that the passenger's side mirror is definitely no kidding when it says that, "Objects in this mirror are closer than they appear." Has any one else noticed this on their cars? My other car is a Mercedes and it definitely doesn't distort the view as much, in my opinion. I usually have to double check the distance when merging right when using it.

 

good question... have actually had it come in handy several times when negotiating tight parking...

but its really too bad we cant ask the 2400 children who were killed last year (and EVERY year) when someone backed up not knowing where the child was. tragically, over 90% of the time, its the child's parent

 

My parents took my Prius to Arizona yesterday morning and they're finally on their way back(i miss my Prius, 24mpg highway sucks).

I've been driving my moms 07 G35 Coupe, that thing is straight up scary backing out of parking spots, not just because of the long overhang in front, its the lack of view in the rear especially with the spoiler.

 

I found the camera helps during parking. The camera also comes (or at least did) with an MFD that has higher resolution.

 

i kind of find this whole thread silly cause you get vehicle stability control in the back up camera package, i wonder how long a thread titled 'how essential is the vehicle stability control' would go.

nevermind, looks like the score so far is camera 45 replies 1143 views, vehicle stability control 22 replies 620 views

maybe we can merge the two threads


yeah i think you get the high res screen in that package too

 

Any Prius driver that has to back into a narrow parking spot appreciates the camera. I view it as an extremely useful tool in operating a car safely. I back into a spot at work that may have tools on a wall or construction material. The camera allows me to safely see the distance when I get close to the wall and see any materials stored against the wall.
When I arrive home to a parking spot at my condo sometimes the neighbor owning the spot next to me parks too close my spot. Parking backwards allows me more room to depart on the driver's side. The camera allows me to easily negotiate my neighbor's car and the cement wall bearing pillar on the other side.
I love the camera. I think anytime one uses it as intended, it is a great safety option.

 

I use my mirrors and look back, I also use the camera. I feel that the camera is good for looking to see if anything is behind the car, but no so much if you are trying to back up in a straight line. When I back out of my driveway, I watch the side mirrors and see how much space I have till I drive off into grass. Am I the only one here that think its odd the camera isn't centered on the back of the vehicle? I guess I just got spoiled with my Lexus IS250, it had a back up camera that was centered on the back, and it seemed to be more lined up. With the Prius' back up camera, I feel that it looks off center.

 

No camera, no dead kids and still no dents in the back of my Prius. The pattern of light from the reverse light on walls helps to judge the distance between the wall and my back bumper. Side mirrors work best for reversing into tight spaces, a single camera can't give depth perception, be careful.

 

In my 07 it came with the stability control pkg 2, so it is there. It washes out in the sun. If it is used to back up to something it is hard to judge how far the object is. I rarely look at it, but it does have a safety purpose in some cases.

 

more of a crane the neck type myself, but I do use the cam from time to time.

Alot of cars are shipping with these, even if they don't need it.

The new Elantra has it as an option

 

You american people don't have many things to be worried about while parking, but in Europe we usually have to deal with much smaller parking places in our streets and parking lots.

In Spain for example there are only 3 versions of Prius. Basic Package, which includes almost everything, and 2 aditional packages navi+ipa+Bt or the same with leather...

So if you want leather, you will get Ipa, and I find it pretty helpful when parking my Prius in a Golf-size parking space...

But at the end, the main point is... do the other drivers take as much care as I do when parking? That's the point...