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Back up camera/warning worth its weight in gold!

kirstenb

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2014 explorer xlt
Just got back from Spring Break in Cocoa Beach. Last weekend we were driving the last leg of the trip, and stopped at a rest stop in North Carolina. My husband was getting ready to back out and return to the highway. When he put it in reverse, our backup sensor went crazy, chirping as fast as I've ever heard it. He looked in the mirror, and couldn't see anything at first. He put it in park, and opened the door to look. There was a short, thin older lady leaning on the back of the vehicle, bending over. She had her dog on a leash, and must have stopped for a second.

The pillars back there are so wide, she was totally obscured. We were so upset---she could have been really hurt. I do like the camera at places like the mall, but after that, I really love it!!!
 



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It's the most common driving mistake I see - driving forward into a parking spot when you could have backed in. It's what prevented such happenings before backup cameras were in use. Thanks for your story - glad to hear of the good outcome - many are not so lucky.
 






It's the most common driving mistake I see - driving forward into a parking spot when you could have backed in. It's what prevented such happenings before backup cameras were in use.
Don't be so quick to judge.

You don't know any of the facts other than the people pulled into a space. I don't know the facts, either - but I can tell you that there are angled spaced in rest areas where you have to pull straight in. If those were the facts, they did everything right, and nothing wrong.
 






Not to mention if there is a row of cars behind you waiting to get by while you navigate through the backing up procedure. Just yesterday we were at the outlet mall looking for a spot. We were behind a beemer owner and he noticed a family getting loaded into their van. A whole line of cars behind me waiting for the family to get loaded up and for the beemer to pull in. Van pulled out and everyone started inching forward. Driver initiated his back up procedure and everyone hit their brakes. A couple cars even honked. All I could think was...seriously?? Oh well, all in the name of 'safety' I guess.

Personally, I hardly use the back up camera itself unless during really tight manauvers. I agree though that the audible warnings are handy. I make fake crashing sounds when it really starts to ding and I hit the brakes just enough to get my kids' attention before I come to stop. They think it's hilarious. :D:D:D
 






Thanks dco43054 for the backup, so to speak!! Actually every rest stop off of 95 we've ever pulled into between Richmond and Florida has those angled parking spaces. And they're only single-deep. Anyway, I just never would have believed this poor woman basically became invisible. An unusual circumstance, for sure.
 






Don't be so quick to judge.

You don't know any of the facts other than the people pulled into a space. I don't know the facts, either - but I can tell you that there are angled spaced in rest areas where you have to pull straight in. If those were the facts, they did everything right, and nothing wrong.

No spanking needed. :) I would suggest you follow your own advice, and not be so quick to judge someone and falsely accuse them as being judgemental, especially when they haven't been. I would call your attention to my words " …the most common driving mistake I see...driving forward into a parking spot when you could have backed in". Simply stated, if a person could not back in, then this statement does not apply to them, does it? I do take a dim view in those cases where it is possible to back in, and that's exactly what I stated, how can you (or anyone) disagree with that??

Too many children (or others) are killed or maimed every year because a parking spot or driveway, or garage, was driven into forward (sometimes by their parents, gulp) when it could just as easily been backed into. Every one of them preventable and unnecessary. Looking around you might agree with my original statement that this is a very common mistake.

I think my statements above are valid and stand, although there would have been less room for misinterpretation if I had replaced the general term "you" with the general term "one". No offence was (or is) intended.

Maybe you read the post a bit too fast (?)
 






I see what you're trying to get at but there is just as much risk either way, IMO, i.e., a pedestrian can get hit by a car when it's backing out of a spot, just as easily when a car is backing into a spot.

Put another way (admittedly in an over exaggeration), you won't ever have to worry about hitting someone when backing into a spot only when backing out.
 






I do take a dim view in those cases where it is possible to back in, and that's exactly what I stated, how can you (or anyone) disagree with that??

It's a matter of opinion and it can be disagreed with. I view it the same as people who pull thru open parking spaces to position themselves nose out. ****** move.

You realize that in some municipalities, it is illegal to back into a parking space. Same for some private parking lots/structures. Nothing like someone in a pickup truck backing into a space, tires back to the concrete curb/barrier, and having the tail hanging over the sidewalk, landscaping, etc. or damaging the wall behind with a trailer hitch. Not to mention waiting on them to stop, and allowing them room to back in...thinking they just passed up an empty spot.

Frankly, I'm more scared of standing behind a vehicle, backed in, loading the hatch....and someone pulling in behind me parking in the adjoining space. Are they going to crush my legs?
 






You have the general idea- there is much more risk backing from an area you likely haven't seen, than one you just looked at and checked when driving past it in preparation for backing into it. It's taught in Advanced Driver training, and, unfortunately, should be in basic driver training too, but evidently isn't, or I wouldn't be discussing it here. So, it seems to be an esoteric point, when it shouldn't be, which is partly why I posted.

You can also better see behind you when backing while turning into a spot, as opposed to backing straight, which you do at the start when backing out of a spot.

Obviously, you have much better visibility forward than backward. If you back into a driveway and the kids are playing in it when you later go to pull out, you have a much better chance of seeing them, than if you were backing out. When backing in, same thing, you have just checked to see it's clear to back into, and there are no bicycles or kids sitting playing there. It is really just logical, if you think about it. And, make no mistake, there are no certainties, we are only dealing with probabilities here, and are out to minimize the risks, sorry, they can't be completely eliminated.

If you signal before you back into a parking space, people behind will see your backup lights, see what you are doing and stay far enough back to let you make your turn. I do it all the time, have for decades.
 






Well, RG, I would (and do) step aside in any case. I do not uneccessarily relinquish the responsibility for my own well-being to a stranger for any reason. Why would you, the downside is grave, the upside of two side steps is obvious? I did not know a municipality that banned backing into a parking space. Which would that be?

I think that parents (or others) who have backed out over their kids that could have backed in first might share my opinions.

I prefer to minimize, as much as I can, the probability of me driving over kids, or people, or animals, or anything else, LOL! I would hope that it's not just me.
 






It's a very nuanced point. I can just easily say that I just walked from the store to my car (which I pulled into headlights first) in the parking lot and "scanned" my surroundings to see that all was clear. Who's to say though that some sort of obstacle doesn't stop behind my car from the time that I scanned the area and when I place the gear in reverse. Same goes for when you overshoot the parking spot (presumably to conduct your scan), then place the car in reverse to back into the spot. There could still be some obstacle that appeared back there unexpectedly.

In my previous example with the beemer owner, although his maneuver went without a hitch, it was a very busy lot, both cars and pedestrians, and I could see someone running behind the beemer to get by, instead of waiting for him to pull into the spot to clear the walkway that the beemer owner blocked to conduct his reverse maneuver.

As I said, there is risk in both techniques. I've used both in the past and advanced driving course or not, I take just as much caution backing into a spot then I do when I back out of it. Never have I thought to myself, "Oh, I just drove past that spot and now I'm backing into it. I feel so much less at risk."

YMMV
 






No spanking needed. :) I would suggest you follow your own advice, and not be so quick to judge someone and falsely accuse them as being judgemental, especially when they haven't been.

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Maybe you read the post a bit too fast (?)
I don't think I read it too fast, but then again, I'm not going to get into an internet keyboard war.

If your intent was not to chastise the OP for their driving, and parking, methods, I'll accept that.
 






Almost 100% of utility companies have a "first move forward" rule for parking which generally means you back into the spot, or pull through 2 spots so your first move is to pull out and not back out.

This is great except for there are parking spots that are angled, and require pulling in, or parking meters that say "head-in parking only." I have yet to reconcile how one would handle this dilemma. In most rest areas you pull in in one direction and angle park, back out and continue in the one way direction.

It's confusing at best.
 






For what it's worth, when I was in college we were expected to pull in only, and that's in a heavy pedestrian area! They did enforce it and I had to fight several tickets.

I had a pickup with a cap on it and didn't want to put my parking sticker on the cap (they were like gold around there and likely to get stolen) so I put it on my front window and backed in and at least twice a year I'd get a ticket. Each time they accepted my reasoning and tossed out the ticket, but they really wanted you to pull in!

So yeah, backing in is great, and I often do for various reasons, but it's not required and accidents are still pretty rare. I wouldn't go without the camera on the Explorer for backing in or out of places. On my previous car, a Subaru Forester, not so necessary.

My two cents.

Jon
 






Just got back from Spring Break in Cocoa Beach. Last weekend we were driving the last leg of the trip, and stopped at a rest stop in North Carolina. My husband was getting ready to back out and return to the highway. When he put it in reverse, our backup sensor went crazy, chirping as fast as I've ever heard it. He looked in the mirror, and couldn't see anything at first. He put it in park, and opened the door to look. There was a short, thin older lady leaning on the back of the vehicle, bending over. She had her dog on a leash, and must have stopped for a second.

The pillars back there are so wide, she was totally obscured. We were so upset---she could have been really hurt. I do like the camera at places like the mall, but after that, I really love it!!!

This is my first vehicle with a backup camera. I love it too, though I must admit I'm getting a bit spoiled and dependent on it :)
 






I just wish the camera could scan for ditches...looking downward and backward. Last Tuesday evening, wife and I played a small musical venue, one of those "play for dinner" deals. We left the hall in the rain, and made a wrong turn leaving. Wound up on a back country road, pitch dark and still raining cats and dogs. Pulled into a driveway to back out and turn around, and backed into a ditch about 1 ft. deep. The sound was like I had hit a mailbox at about 30 MPH, but what I heard was the fiberglass wrap-around just above the bumper popping loose on both sides. Surveyed the damage at the next available lighted area and just knew I was looking at about 2K damage. I was sick!! Luckily, all that is put together like a puzzle, and my body man popped it all back together the next morning. Only cost $50 because he had to remove the bumper to put the sensor back in place. I'm one lucky dude!!
 






Hammertime, glad you and the truck are okay!! The fear is real in these newer rides with the repairs!! Glad it was cheaper than you thought!!
 






Almost 100% of utility companies have a "first move forward" rule for parking which generally means you back into the spot, or pull through 2 spots so your first move is to pull out and not back out.

This is great except for there are parking spots that are angled, and require pulling in, or parking meters that say "head-in parking only." I have yet to reconcile how one would handle this dilemma. In most rest areas you pull in in one direction and angle park, back out and continue in the one way direction.

It's confusing at best.

I don't find it confusing at all. It's an easy, simple, straight forward, logical decision-making process...

:hammer: If it's possible and easy to back in first, you do that. If it's not, then you don't. :hammer:

Fleet drivers who have taken advanced driver training are taught to do it this way because it lowers the risk of an incident.

What is confusing, is that all too frequently people don't do this. Why gamble and take an unnecessary risk with something that has no upside, only downside (death in many cases every year, injury, shame, regret) when you don't have to?

I will grant that even playing Russian Roulette with a six gun has an upside (the thrill of playing and winning), but who can explain the upside of driving in forward, when you could just as easily have backed in? No one.

So for anyone regularly not backing into a spot when they could have (and you know who you are), try it next time you are out. It will be the start of a good driving habit and you will be a better, safer driver for having done so. For free!
 






I don't find it confusing at all. It's an easy, simple, straight forward, logical decision-making process...

:hammer: If it's possible and easy to back in first, you do that. If it's not, then you don't. :hammer:

Fleet drivers who have taken advanced driver training are taught to do it this way because it lowers the risk of an incident.

What is confusing, is that all too frequently people don't do this. Why gamble and take an unnecessary risk with something that has no upside, only downside (death in many cases every year, injury, shame, regret) when you don't have to?

I will grant that even playing Russian Roulette with a six gun has an upside (the thrill of playing and winning), but who can explain the upside of driving in forward, when you could just as easily have backed in? No one.

So for anyone regularly not backing into a spot when they could have (and you know who you are), try it next time you are out. It will be the start of a good driving habit and you will be a better, safer driver for having done so. For free!

I promise you that if you lived in the NY metro area or any major metro area in the US (Chicago, DC, etc), you'd be backing into parking slots 10% of the time or less. It's just not practical, given the traffic and crowds, to make a bunch of swinging K-turn-like maneuvers to get the ass-end of an Explorer into a spot. Most likely you'd cause an accident with type A-impatient drivers behind you trying to get around you while you fiddle around going backwards. Pedestrians in these areas also don't yield for a car backing into a spot. They will walk right behind you. They are far less likely to walk in front of you as you are proceeding head-into a spot. And as noted elsewhere, there are very many parking lots here (metro NY) where head-in parking is the rule - it facilitates easy ticketing for registration and inspection sticker violations, and also prevents backups with people taking time to gingerly back into spots.
 



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who can explain the upside of driving in forward, when you could just as easily have backed in?

I can. It's easier. Backing into a spot that's 10' wide is harder than backing out into a roadway that is 20'+ wide.

That's it. It's easier. And though the stakes are high (as you point out) the risks are low. You can quote numbers nationally, but the chances of an individual hitting a person when backing out are very low if they take standard precautions.

Standard precautions? Often if you're pulled in to a spot you approach the vehicle from behind and are likely to notice anything stationary behind your vehicle. After you get in, start the vehicle, turn the stereo off or at least way down so you can hear a horn or yell, and with your foot on the brake put it in reverse so your back-up lights come on. Check your rearview then look out each side (not mirror, use the windows) and check for approaching pedestrians and vehicles. Start backing out slowly (don't gun it) and keep checking back and forth and keep your ears open.

I think most people do most or all of this without thinking and most of us will never hit a person or other object through thousands and thousands of trips.

Jon
 






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