We've all been here before, trying to back out of a crowded parking lot having a near miss or even worse, a crash. But avoiding these types of accidents is getting easier thanks to new technology. It could save lives, and money.
Back in the day you'd have to turn around look out of the window and hope you didn't hit anything. But now cameras are pretty standard in most new cars. They will be mandatory in all new cars starting this spring. And it's more than just a nice thing to have, it's just one of several technologies that are really reducing crashes.
The rear view camera gives you a look at things you sometimes can't see with your own eyes. It eliminates those blind spots.
Then there are parking sensors. Those are those sometimes annoying beeps or vibrations in your seat that let you know when your car is getting too close to something behind it.
But what researchers found to be most helpful in preventing rear crashes is the rear automatic emergency braking system. It can detect if something is behind you while you're backing up and can automatically brake if you can't or wont stop.
Together, this technology dream team is reducing back up crashes reported to police by 78 percent, according to a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Most rear crashes don't result in serious injuries, but you never know who or what might be behind you. Using this technology could save you a lot of stress and potentially thousands in repair costs.