The advantage of reversing cameras
Obviously, the most obvious benefit of a rear camera is that it expands your view, especially under the rear window or trunk, helping to avoid injury-causing and potentially fatal back-up accidents. The camera also improves your ability to see beyond the width of the mirror image, helping to eliminate blind spots. But cameras have many other benefits besides helping to protect people and property behind the car.

For example, a back-up camera can help you park more quickly and safely. A rear camera gives the driver a clearer and more accurate view of obstacles behind the car, and most backup systems include warning sounds to let you know when you are getting too close to an object.

Almost all astern cameras have an on-screen guide: two parallel lines help you get in and out of parking Spaces more easily. Some also have a median line that helps you keep the vehicle centered in the space. Modern color displays allow the system to change the color of the guide from green to yellow to red as you approach an obstacle. And, combined with audible warnings from rear-facing sensors, it’s useful for preventing back-up accidents.

Back-up cameras are especially useful if you are towing a trailer. The camera gives you a close-up view of the trailer when you line it up with the vehicle hook, while line color and sound sensors keep you at a distance.
How the reversing camera works
On the surface, the idea is simple: When you put your car in reverse, a camera mounted in the back of the vehicle turns on and sends images to a monitor to show what’s behind you. But the reality is a bit more complicated. Back-up camera systems, even the most basic ones, are pretty sophisticated technology, and they’re getting more high-tech all the time.

The complexity starts with the images taken by the camera. Instead of transmitting pictures that a typical camera might see, the reverse camera system actually sends mirrored images to a monitor so that they are oriented correctly when you view them. If you’re looking at a direct feed of what the camera sees, the image will be reversed so that you’ll drive left when you want to drive right. The system aims to correct this problem and make the view on the display meaningful.

Manufacturers usually install back-up cameras in the rear trim of vehicles. They’re fairly unobtrusive, so they can be a little hard to see, but you might find them hidden in bumpers, near license plates, in the trunk lid, or in the tailgate of an SUV or pickup. The camera is usually tilted downward to provide the best view from the rear of your car. They also have wide-angle lenses, so you can get a more comprehensive image than using a rear-view mirror.

Monitors can be installed anywhere in the driver’s field of view, but they are usually located in the central area of the cockpit. Since most newer vehicles have existing screens for entertainment systems, climate control, navigation, and other functions, the display is often used for back-up camera systems. Other versions use part of the rearview mirror as a monitor, which has the advantage of being able to set the display where the driver is used to looking when backing up. But this type of monitor is much smaller than a large-screen monitor and provides less detailed images.