Is reversing more difficult with reversing aids?
Discussion
Back in the day, reversing would involve the odd mirror check and placing your left arm over the passenger seat to twist yourself into a position where you can look out of the back window.
My latest car has the usual mirrors (which move down when I select reverse), but also a reversing camera with guidance lines, an overhead image of proximity distances and warning beeps of different tones. I find this all results in an information overload so I don't know where to look or what beeps are significant.
I especially think camera images are misleading, as the brain uses the angle of the eyes to measure distance. If you are looking at a screen 0.5m away at an image from a camera 2m behind you, viewing a bollard 1m away the brain has to make sense of the image. In addition, your eyes have to re-focus for distance if you glance at wing mirrors / rear mirror.
Is it just me or does anyone else get overloaded?
I do get what you mean but I find it's just a case of having a wee calm down, reassess your tactic and go from there.
I spent all day driving throughout town (estate agent) so sometimes parking 4/5 times an hour and our cars have rear sensors and a reversing camera. I still do the normal line up of the passenger mirror to parrallel park, then once I'm happy I'm going in properly I'll change my focus to the camera. Obviously checking blindspots, traffic etc while I do it.
I think some cars don't do themselves any favours in inducing a bit of an overload. I've borrowed a colleagues mercedes A class a few times and it screams and shouts about everything while you're parking, it'll think you're going to kerb the car and beep for that, then beeps when a car drives past, the camera is a overly wide angle.
I do enjoy a reversing camera now. Older cars were far more squared off and generally had better visibility, whereas even most normal hatchbacks now have a tiny rear window and the boot/bumper can stick out another foot, massive pillars and so on.
I spent all day driving throughout town (estate agent) so sometimes parking 4/5 times an hour and our cars have rear sensors and a reversing camera. I still do the normal line up of the passenger mirror to parrallel park, then once I'm happy I'm going in properly I'll change my focus to the camera. Obviously checking blindspots, traffic etc while I do it.
I think some cars don't do themselves any favours in inducing a bit of an overload. I've borrowed a colleagues mercedes A class a few times and it screams and shouts about everything while you're parking, it'll think you're going to kerb the car and beep for that, then beeps when a car drives past, the camera is a overly wide angle.
I do enjoy a reversing camera now. Older cars were far more squared off and generally had better visibility, whereas even most normal hatchbacks now have a tiny rear window and the boot/bumper can stick out another foot, massive pillars and so on.
I like them. I still reverse as if I don't have them, and glance at camera images where available to verify that the volume I'm reversing into is as obstacle-free as I thought it was. Beeping sensors simply allow me to get a little closer when e.g. parallel parking than I otherwise would allowing me to complete a manoeuver in fewer steps. One can afford to be a little less Austin Powers when confident that there's still clearance on your passenger side front corner when you'd otherwise be guesstimating based on what you can see from the other side of the car.
The aides are supplementary to being able to park the car. They're not replacements for having that basic skill.
The aides are supplementary to being able to park the car. They're not replacements for having that basic skill.
Refocussing is a definite issue, it's why they invented HUDs in aircraft.
Overhead views are quite nice I guess as a second check. Reversing cameras themselves I don't find much use in a car. It's handy in a truck where you have a huge blind spot directly behind, but again I tend to use mirrors primarily, with the camera as a secondary check. I do find refocussing a bit difficult there particularly at night, as you have one close mirror, one a couple of metres away, and a screen in the middle, but I wouldn't call it overload as such. In which case, I'll stop for a second until I can see I'm clear.
Mirrors FTW really, the rest is just occasionally useful for checking there's nothing you haven't seen.
Overhead views are quite nice I guess as a second check. Reversing cameras themselves I don't find much use in a car. It's handy in a truck where you have a huge blind spot directly behind, but again I tend to use mirrors primarily, with the camera as a secondary check. I do find refocussing a bit difficult there particularly at night, as you have one close mirror, one a couple of metres away, and a screen in the middle, but I wouldn't call it overload as such. In which case, I'll stop for a second until I can see I'm clear.
Mirrors FTW really, the rest is just occasionally useful for checking there's nothing you haven't seen.
Given how hard it is to see out of the back of most modern cars, either a camera or reversing sensors are become almost essential from a safety perspective.
My car just has a reversing camera, which I think is useful and don't feel the need to have anything else. With the camera, I can reliably stop the back of the car within a few inches of a wall/car/garage door if needed. I wouldn't be able to do that with just the mirrors and looking out the letterbox which is the back window.
My wife's car has rather paranoid front, rear and side sensors which just result in a huge amount of unnecessary beeping when trying to manoeuvre into anywhere tight. It goes to the continuous "you're going to crash" beep when there is a least a foot to spare which means it's actually of very little help when it's needed most! Annoyingly it also sometimes beeps for the cars next to you when you're stopped in traffic. It quite frequently gets turned off, along with the automatic back seat driver steering wheel grabbing function.
My car just has a reversing camera, which I think is useful and don't feel the need to have anything else. With the camera, I can reliably stop the back of the car within a few inches of a wall/car/garage door if needed. I wouldn't be able to do that with just the mirrors and looking out the letterbox which is the back window.
My wife's car has rather paranoid front, rear and side sensors which just result in a huge amount of unnecessary beeping when trying to manoeuvre into anywhere tight. It goes to the continuous "you're going to crash" beep when there is a least a foot to spare which means it's actually of very little help when it's needed most! Annoyingly it also sometimes beeps for the cars next to you when you're stopped in traffic. It quite frequently gets turned off, along with the automatic back seat driver steering wheel grabbing function.
Rod200SX said:
I do enjoy a reversing camera now. Older cars were far more squared off and generally had better visibility, whereas even most normal hatchbacks now have a tiny rear window and the boot/bumper can stick out another foot, massive pillars and so on.
This is the thing for me. I used to think I was brilliant at parking - couldn't see what the issue was. Not so sure now. I used to also drive through width restrictions at 20+mph though. I think all the parking aids are good in intent, but I find when driving cars without them now they have dumbed me down and my spatial awareness is worse as a result. I mean I am not a liability, but the parking aids have to an extent negated some of the checks/awareness I used to habitually do/have and are now "forgotten".
That being said I think there are different qualities of aid and not all are equal, with some camera angles being deceptive or an alarm that is overly cautious. My Merc C class camera and sensors were pretty good (camera amazing, sensors a little too cautious), the BMW I3 ones were woeful, I personally think they were trying to prove a point (it's a small boxy car do you really need these...).
I am looking proper forward to my new car with 360 degree camera coverage, hopefully someone with subjectively the same approach to vision as me set them up and they will be a winner (the test drive says they are good, but you can never say till you have lived with it).
That being said I think there are different qualities of aid and not all are equal, with some camera angles being deceptive or an alarm that is overly cautious. My Merc C class camera and sensors were pretty good (camera amazing, sensors a little too cautious), the BMW I3 ones were woeful, I personally think they were trying to prove a point (it's a small boxy car do you really need these...).
I am looking proper forward to my new car with 360 degree camera coverage, hopefully someone with subjectively the same approach to vision as me set them up and they will be a winner (the test drive says they are good, but you can never say till you have lived with it).
We have post-manufacturer parking sensors in our Jazz that seem to have been set up by Beaker from The Muppets, it beeps manically if we're about to drive over a pebble. Keeps the mind on the task though I suppose, and is useful for judging distance to stationary cars behind us.
My father has a rear camera on his current car, since maybe three or four years ago, and has got really lazy with observations such that his parking ability has diminished. That might be because he's generally getting older though, mid-70s now.
My father has a rear camera on his current car, since maybe three or four years ago, and has got really lazy with observations such that his parking ability has diminished. That might be because he's generally getting older though, mid-70s now.
SkodaIan said:
Given how hard it is to see out of the back of most modern cars, either a camera or reversing sensors are become almost essential from a safety perspective.
This. Cars are bigger, less glazing, higher shoulders lines etc. Parking aids are just that, aids. I do think it could be dangerous to over rely on them, but think they are very useful
V8covin said:
pocketspring said:
I don't mind reversing sensors but hate the cameras with the bending lines as you turn.
I'm with you,sensors are an aid but I find the cameras confusing, I drive different cars all the time and I just don't trust what they're showing me 
I think it depends on the camera as to whether I think it's good or not. My Golf GTI doesn't have the lines that bend and I trust it implicitly, it basically perfectly shows what's there, in accurate scale.
My ex's Mercedes GLC, however, I didn't trust at all. It gave the impression that the car was really tall and narrow (much narrower than the Golf) and I was never sure what the bending lines were supposed to show, because the car sure as hell didn't follow them!
Wouldn't be without the camera now, though. If I were to buy an older car that didn't have one, then fine, but any new car would have to have one. Hopefully a decent one!
My ex's Mercedes GLC, however, I didn't trust at all. It gave the impression that the car was really tall and narrow (much narrower than the Golf) and I was never sure what the bending lines were supposed to show, because the car sure as hell didn't follow them!
Wouldn't be without the camera now, though. If I were to buy an older car that didn't have one, then fine, but any new car would have to have one. Hopefully a decent one!
Forums | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff