Modern cars come with many technological upgrades, but few are as useful as a built-in backup camera. With a direct view from the bumper of your vehicle, driving in reverse becomes much easier. Backup cameras are such a big help for drivers that in 2018 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) made them a requirement for all new vehicles sold in the United States.
Backup cameras turn on when you throw your car in reverse, showing you the area behind your vehicle along with a distinct, often multi-colored grid. Have you ever wondered what those lines mean exactly? Here’s a look at the purpose behind the guidelines on your backup camera and how you can use them to drive more safely.
What Backup Camera Guide Lines Tell You
There are typically two sets of lines on a backup camera. One does not move, giving you a consistent distance guide straight off your back bumper. The other moves along with your steering wheel, showing you the arcing path you’ll follow as you back up.
What Do the Static Lines On a Backup Camera Mean?
The width of the static lines on your backup camera is the same as the width of your vehicle, which can be helpful to know if you’re reversing into a tight space.
Typically, backup camera guidelines are split into three zones that extend away from your vehicle. These zones are often color-coded to indicate the “danger” level, going from green to yellow to red the closer you get. If you’ve got something like another car or a garage wall sitting in your backup camera’s red zone, it’s too close… and you might have some trouble opening your trunk.
The exact length of the static guidelines varies from vehicle to vehicle, but they typically extend about six feet from the camera. Check with your vehicle’s owner’s manual to learn more about the exact dimensions of your backup camera’s static guidelines.
What Do the Moving Lines on a Backup Camera Mean?
The backup camera’s moving lines are an incredibly informative parking tool, especially if you’re attempting to parallel park in a tight space. As you spin your steering wheel to back into an empty space along a sidewalk, the lines will move to show your vehicle’s exact trajectory. These lines also make it easier to park near the curb, allowing you to make fine-tuned adjustments to your wheel alignment and get as close as possible.
Keep in mind that you should not rely solely on your backup camera to navigate. By combining what you can learn from the camera with information from your side and rearview mirrors, you’ll be able to deftly navigate any back-in situation.
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