No, my wife backed into the MINI with her backup camera equipped VW Jetta Hybrid. She also backed into a pole with the backup camera equipped motorhome. I backed into the basketball backboard because I was watching the camera instead of the mirror. Relying on technology can be problematic unless you like the plan in progress to have the vehicle driving you.

So where are the statistics on how many toddlers are killed by people backing their cars over them?

 

Any tech to help drivers be more safe on the road is okay in my book. No tech is perfect, and no drivers are perfect, and nothing is error-proof. Even though I'm confident in my abilities behind the wheel, I'd love to have a rear view camera for the additional information it provides. Luckily, when it comes time to move on from this MINI, they'll be standard equipment for all cars here in the US.

 

It should be a personal choice, just like what color car to buy! If such things become mandatory I suppose buyers will have no choice but to pay more because the cost of the cars (being turned into computers on wheels) will continue to get so costly nobody will afford to own a new car! If back-up cameras and parking assist helps you, I think that's great, but don't insist that those of us who don't particularly like such amenities buy into them. Everyone's different, so just respect others' choices and be done with it!

 

Consumer Reports commenting on Insurance Institute for Highway Safety studies:

"Drivers with the backup camera alone had the fewest collisions with the stationary target, but still 56 percent hit the dummy. The parking sensors alone only helped 6 percent of drivers avoid the dummy. And oddly, 75 percent of those with the sensors and the camera hit the stationary dummy, more than with cameras alone."

Y'all need rear facing radar and automatic braking.

And keep your toddlers away from motor vehicles. Some/many/most of the drivers are doing anything but paying attention to driving.

 

It's hard to argue with that. When MINI starts offering a 360° camera view like some cars already do, I will trade in my '14 MCS for one.

 

Surround View. $1700 option on the BMW X3 including park distance control and backup camera. It appears to have been on the 3-Series since 2012.

 

Hmmm, Airbags, Antilock Brakes, Seatbelts were once considered amenities as well.

And only being slightly facetious here, but actually driving a car might be considered an archaic skill in the next 50 years.

 

Well, you have to have common sense and use both/all means to ascertain that the surrounding area is safe to proceed. Your humorous anecdotes do not, however, make the case that cameras are bad.

 

Never said the cameras were bad, I said relying on them can be. See post #29 for study results.

 

It won't be long until mirrors are history.

 

There will be more of them, but only for looking at ourselves while the car drives.

 

I predict twenty years and the driverless car will be financially advantaged over human drivers. Insurance for humans driving will be much higher.

 

Quoted from darex.
"Being more aware (or further alerted) to your surroundings, especially while backing-up or parking, is not a bad thing. Yeah, I'm an awesome parallel parker too -- I'd wager better than most people here. I still love my back-up camera. This is not a competition. I feel that those who feel that they're too good for a back-up camera, or that "this car" doesn't benefit from one, are silly, or simply don't know any better. I'm glad I have front and rear sonar and my back-up camera. I wish there were a forward camera too.

My car's bumpers are still pristine, as I approach two years. Are yours?"
__________________

Well, I guess I don't know any better. I've only had my drivers license since 1963 when I passed the parallel parking portion in my Dad's 1947 Chevy. And yes, my '07 MCS body was pristine when I traded it last year with 130K miles on it. If anyone wants options like the "parking sonar" or back up camera, more power to you, but don't preach to me that my ignorance is the only reason I don't have these things.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I'm done here.

 

I failed my first driving test cause the instructor said I parallel parked the car perfectly but too fast. People who claim to be the best at things remind of a certain weird haired candidate.

 

Oh, I forgot: you also have to live in DC/Philly/New York/Boston or San Francisco, and have to parallel park in impossibly tight spaces several times a week, before you're allowed to "Bah Humbug" parking gadgetry.

 

Is there a way to add a backup camera after you've already ordered your car? I'd assume the wiring is all there already, but maybe not. Seems like it wouldn't be a tough add on after the fact.

 

To think of the first cars I drove--and I managed to parallel park them and not hit any kids. Stopped them without disc or anti-lock brakes and kept the whitewalls clean too. However, I will admit to loving parking sensors on my RAM crew cab, along with a rear view camera, but if you can't manage a Mini hardtop without one, you need to spend some time in a *Walmart parking lot.

 

Absurd! All you need is one serious accident to regret not having a back-up camera. If you're lucky, you'll never have that accident, but you never know. In the meantime, that camera does make things a little easier.

 

Not really... the wire harnesses are custom per car on the 3rd gen MINIs so there is no pre-wiring there making it much harder to retrofit. No dealer will do it for you - too much time and effort involved (which also means high cost for you anyway).

That being said, if you know your way around electrical, there have been a couple people who were able to retrofit it by ordering the proper parts, splicing into existing wiring, and coding the changes into the car.

So, technically possible, but unless you or someone you know have the time and skills, it is definitely a tough add on.

 

It's a weird thing....but shouldn't they have the screen in the back of the car....where you are looking when you are reversing¿ I find myself torn between using only the reversing camera or just looking out the back....

 

I've been driving for ever, I find that the chap who walks in front of my car with a warning flag, is quite happy to nip round the back to check for children and pets, If I give him a little toot to advise my change of direction

We tried a camera, but it took for ever to set up the tripod, and the flash kept scaring the horses

Plenty of drivers seem not to be able to even use mirrors, or signal indicators, adding tech to a car will not protect you from the other idiots on the road.
I'll be spending my money on the things that really help to avoid accidents like better tyres and brakes, and ditching the runflats

Coming up to 1,000 000 total miles driven, and over 160k in mini r53,f56
Impacts to date, one pheasant,
one squirrel. Both committed suicide throwing themselves under my forward moving car,
I should really employ another beater to clear the hedges as I drive up the road
I have been lucky and so far avoid collisions with static objects
Including No curb marks on my wheels

 

My Mazda CX-5 has it standard and I look at it all the time when I back up. I know F56 is a small car but still, when backing up out of my garage I always have doubt that there might be something I'm missing. MINI charges ridiculously too much for everything.

 

has anyone installed an aftermarket wireless back-up camera? I've been looking online and see that they exist ...the camer gets poer by splicing into the back-up light so comes on automatically when you go into reverse, and some systems use a separate monitor that you mount on the dash ( where could one put this and not look too crowded?) or a monitor that is actually a rear view mirror that clips over the car's rear view mirror ( that to me seems better but then you also need to run a wire from that clip on mirror/monitor down to under the dash to get a 12V power source


no ideal answer ...i did not want to spend $1000 for the official camera but would be a nice thing to have.....

anyone tried any of these units?

 

Looks like if you decide you need a b/u camera and don't have one, you can order a WiFi camera that shows the picture on your iPhone. Some former Apple employees started a new company that sells the Pearl RearVision for $500. Two views (wide angle, etc.) and sound alerts.

 

$500 for a backup camera + app! Doesn't even include the screen. Wow, who do they think they are, Apple? If it was $100 I would probably think about it.