Reversing - So many close calls, poor visibility in the back, already small accident

[van604]

Hi there.

A general polling question for you CivicX owners: would you dare drive backwards through a parking lot and park your car into a stall using only the backup camera and not turning your head around to look?

I ask because I am not confident solely using it to backup the car. Compared to my last car, an early 2000's Civic/Acura, this car has very poor visibility in the back sides (both sides) and directly backwards, while the previous Civic would allow me to see everything.

***In fact I am not confident that I can fully see everything while reversing out of parking stalls, and in general, using the backup camera AND/OR turning my head around. I can't estimate where the actual back (nor front for that matter) of my car is at any time.***

I've had so many close calls while going backwards, either almost hitting someone or something. This morning in a parking lot, two cars, myself and another oppositely parked car, backed up at the same time to get out and we almost collided. He saw me first, I only saw a flash of silver in the backup camera and stopped.

I did look behind me, but there are so many blind spots when you look back (usually if you look at either the back left, back right, or directly back, the other two areas become blind spots). In my other car, I would have looked and seen everything.

Do you guys have the same feelings about the back visibility of the car?

Five days after I got the car I even had a small accident. I was more or less parked where I am in the photo below and decided to back up and go into the part of the roadway on the left hand side. So I backed up slowly, looking to my left, not used to the backup camera, not seeing anything in the back and I backed into the concrete pillar.

The damage on the car is this gouge. I already talked to some autobody shops and several think they can fix it for $600. I'll get it fixed eventually I suppose.

 

[TimberWolf]

Which camera view are you using? The wide angle view gives a very large viewing area at the cost of distortion. Plus the guidelines help you determine the distance to objects. Not sure how you can back straight into a pole since it should have been evident in the backup camera. I haven't had any major issues backing up.

 

[van604]

Which camera view are you using? The wide angle view gives a very large viewing area at the cost of distortion. Plus the guidelines help you determine the distance to objects. Not sure how you can back straight into a pole since it should have been evident in the backup camera. I haven't had any major issues backing up.

I'm not using the super wide, just the normal wide view.

Backed up into the pole due to inexperience with this car and the weird angle of that location's road (i.e. was not at 90%). What I should have done was pay attention to the outside better when I was outside.

But when I am inside and can't see what's around the back end of the car, its like I feel I lose track of what's going on outside behind me. From when I got the car to still now, today 6-7 weeks later.

 

[CivicChina]

I suggest to look back and check all your mirrors BEFORE you start moving, so you get an idea of which obstacles are present. Once you are reversing better to look around again sometimes because the camera is very wide and doesn't give you a realistic perspective so you can get a bit "Lost". After some time you will get used and everything will be easier.
Probably you can touch up the scratch for the moment and wait until you make more experience to repaint.

 

[Mocha90210]

I do find it a little tougher to back into a parking spot and be straight. The first few times I used the backup camera, I was also checking to see how far I was from obstacles in real life. The wide angle is very deceptive, but it is great for checking for cross traffic when backing out of a spot. Overall, no issues with the backup camera. You just need to know which of the three views, depending on the situation.

 

[Newflyer3]

If I had any trouble it would be that the camera and lines were offset to the actual position of the car compared to my 2014. With that said, I've never had any trouble backing the car up into spaces. I do use the super wide angle view though. Having experience as a lot guy at a dealership helped too.

 

[Billy4202]

I only use the wide-angle view, I've acclimated. I constantly check to my left and right while backing to make sure everything is good. No issues here.

If there were no camera this car would be a major pain in the ass to park. I can't see shit behind me without it.

 

[SportTouren]

I use wide-angle as well. Due to the hatch, there's definitely that rear blindspot but I've gotten used to always checking physically first, then back up using the camera to see into the blindspots. I'll check left and right during the back up process as well. I agree with Billy4202, without the camera, I'd be backing up at a snail's pace.

 

[Froz3nTundra]

I use the narrower angle and my side mirrors, I do NOT look backward while backing up, I use the 2 mirrors and the camera.

I've never hit anything and can back up within an inch of my surroundings... you just have to know wtf you're doing and have good spacial recognition.

 

[Zeffy94]

I've been driving with rearview cameras in both of the cars I owned (both were/are Civics), so I'm very used to backing up with just the rearview camera. However, in my old Civic, I had only one view; in my current Touring, I prefer the wide-angle view. I generally only need to use my mirrors and the camera though - no need to turn my head and look out the window.

 

[van604]

It seems like the wide angle is the default for everyone. Is anyone using the super wide angle view for backing up? Or for any reason at all?

And anyone using the overheard /downward view on occasion?

 

[Mocha90210]

It seems like the wide angle is the default for everyone. Is anyone using the super wide angle view for backing up? Or for any reason at all?

And anyone using the overheard /downward view on occasion?

Wide view for cross traffic and pedestrians before backing up. Normal view when actually backing up. Top down view when backing up against a wall or another vehicle (especially pickup trucks with a trailer hitch).

 

[van604]

Wide view for cross traffic and pedestrians before backing up. Normal view when actually backing up. Top down view when backing up against a wall or another vehicle (especially pickup trucks with a trailer hitch).

Just to be clear, the normal view is actually a wide angel view (I am a photographer).

The other wide view is a super wide view.

Is this how Honda calls them?

 

[Civic Fan 2016]

The visibility is poor compared to my 00 civic. Does anyone know how many feet the lines on the backup camera represent? I feel like I have a hard time judging how close I am to something when I am backing up like if I am parallel parking and backing up to the car behind me. I wish there was a beep or something notifying me how close I was getting.
When I backup out of my garage the camera shows the road fine but there's a blind spot from the opposing driveway because I can't see if their car is backing up as well.

 

[van604]

And how accurate are the guides that are superimposed on the screen? Do they represent the tires? The corner of the back of your car? If we backup juuusttt past something that is juuusst beside the outside edge of the line, are our cars safe from rubbing against something?

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