Studies Find Backup Cameras More Effective than Sensors

Rear cameras are more effective than parking sensors at helping drivers avoid backing into people or objects, according to two studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

IIHS found that small cars inherently have the best rearward visibility and SUVs have the worst. But there are exceptions. The institute says rear vision is good for a Ford F-150 pickup truck, mainly because of its large outside rearview mirrors. But the blind area behind a Hyundai Sonata small sedan is 42% larger than the F-150 because of the car's tall rear trunk lid.

In general, IIHS says, drivers cannot spot a one-year-old infant anywhere within about 27 feet of the rear bumper by using rearview mirrors and windows alone.

The research shows cameras are more effective than sensors or a combination of camera and sensors at detecting pedestrians in the driver's blind spot. IIHS estimates that cameras reduce the blind zone by about 90%.