When we consider modern safety camera systems on cars and trucks, most of us think about being able to see behind the vehicle when we’re parking or backing up. While those are two of the most common uses for video-based collision-avoidance systems, cameras can also make a difference in other situations where it’s important to see what’s around you. In this article, we’ll take a look at how a camera system can make your next trail adventure safer or your job more efficient.

Off-Road and Adventure Trail Camera Solutions

If you’ve ever gone off-roading in a lifted truck, then you know that many obstacles and challenges are better handled with a spotter. That’s someone outside your vehicle watching where each tire is and letting you know when to turn, speed up or slow down. What if you don’t have someone qualified to help you navigate a narrow opening between two trees or stay on a steep trail when all you see is the sky in front of you? A custom camera system is a great solution.

Imagine a pair of cameras mounted on your front bumper. Each camera would face downward to give you a clear image of where you’re headed and where each tire is relative to obstacles. You can see ruts, stumps, rocks, trees and, most importantly, the edge of the trail or path from the comfort of the driver’s seat.

There’s no limit to how a camera system can be configured. You may want to opt for a three-camera system, with one facing forward from the center of the grille or bumper and secondary cameras on the side-view mirrors or pods on the side of the vehicle facing forward to show your front wheels and the trail.

For camera systems such as this, you’ll want a monitor that can show more than one image at a time. Don’t confuse a monitor that has multiple inputs with a unit that can combine images to display them simultaneously. You don’t want to have to switch back and forth between a left and right wheel camera to ensure that you’re safe.

Commercial Camera Applications

With a safety camera system, there are dozens of ways you can improve efficiency and safety while on the job. If you’re a tow truck operator, having a camera placed strategically on a wheel lift or the boom of a heavy wrecker would allow you to position your vehicle with greater accuracy and minimize the time you spend on the side of the road. The faster you can move a stranded vehicle, the less risk there is to your safety.

Delivery Vehicles

We’ve all heard how backup cameras help prevent back-over accidents. For operators of cube vans or cargo vans, a high-mounted camera on the back of the truck can help you line your vehicle up with a loading dock. You’ll be able to park just close enough to unload boxes without having to step down to the ground.

If you’re transporting horses, you can easily monitor their health and comfort by adding a camera to the inside of the trailer. Many cameras are available with night vision capabilities, using infrared transmitters to let you see what’s going on without visible light.

If you operate a snow plow, having a camera monitoring a salter or on the light bar on the front of a truck will let you operate more efficiently. You’ll know when you’re low on salt and see when you’ve reached the edge of a parking lot. A backup camera system is also an excellent investment in these instances where the driver needs to reverse frequently to clear a parking lot.

See Safely in Absolute Darkness

Police and fire departments all around the country use thermal imaging cameras to help them find fugitives or locate otherwise invisible hotspots after a fire is extinguished. NAV-TV offers the FLIR PathFindIR II infrared camera system for automotive applications. If it’s foggy, raining or smoky, the image from the PathFindIR can help you stay on the right path. Any living object that enters the field of vision will be highlighted with a yellow box on the display screen, so you’ll know to avoid them, even if you can’t physically see them yet. There are options to integrate the camera image into a factory-installed infotainment system, or it can be used with an external display.

Upgrade Your Vehicle with a Custom Camera System Today

High-quality automotive-grade cameras are rugged and reliable. Your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer can design a bespoke system to let you see around your vehicle. Visit them and let them know how they can help you drive or work more efficiently.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

If you’ve been listening to the radio lately, you’ve likely heard advertisements suggesting that you need to buy a new Ford or Nissan with the latest blind-spot monitoring systems. While we agree that driving a vehicle that offers this collision-avoidance technology can prevent accidents, we don’t agree that you need to buy a new car or truck to obtain that technology. Your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer offers a variety of collision-avoidance solutions that can be added to your existing vehicle. Let’s take a look at blind-spot monitoring systems.

What Is a Blind-Spot Monitoring System?

Also known as blind-spot detection or warning systems, these collision-avoidance technologies use a pair of radar transceivers mounted in the back corners of a car or SUV to detect the presence of a moving object in an adjacent lane. The systems create a radar field that’s about 10 feet wide by 40 feet long, extending from the B-pillar rearward on each side of the vehicle.

Suppose there’s a car, truck, motorcycle or cyclist that’s entering or exiting this area. In that case, the system will notify the driver by illuminating an indicator that’s mounted on or near the A-pillar trim panel in the vehicle.

The system’s purpose is to let the driver know that they shouldn’t attempt to change lanes because that could cause a collision.

If you activate a turn signal while someone is in the radar field area, the system will provide a loud audible warning. Some systems also flash the indicator to attract your attention. We consider this an active safety system because it works to keep you safe, even if you don’t remember to look at the indicator. These warning systems function at all times once the vehicle is traveling at more than about 20 mph (32 km/h), so you have more information about who or what is around you while in town or on the freeway.

Active Safety Systems

Within the mobile enhancement industry, we consider blind-spot warning systems to be what’s considered an active safety device. Unlike a solution that is camera-based, the driver doesn’t need to remember to use the system in order to obtain its benefits. If a vehicle is beside yours, the warning indicator will be on. If you activate your turn signal, most systems flash the indicator and produce an audible alert to let you know it’s not safe to change lanes.

Cross-Traffic Alert Functionality

Most aftermarket blind-spot systems also include a mode called cross-traffic alert. When you start backing up, the system changes the shape of the radar monitoring field to extend outward from the side of your car to sense oncoming vehicles. If you’re in a shopping plaza or backing into the street, you’ll receive a warning when an approaching vehicle or cyclist is 75 to 100 feet away. This warning lets you know it’s not safe to continue backing out.

What You Need To Know Before Shopping

First, most blind-spot monitoring systems are designed with radar transceivers that are intended to be mounted behind the plastic bumper cover on the rear of a vehicle. As such, if you own a truck or SUV, you’ll need to make sure the product specialist you’re talking to understands the application. Solutions are available for these vehicles that mount around the license plate on the rear of the vehicle. Some companies, like CUB from Novus Radar Technologies, have replacement taillight assemblies for popular Ford, Ram and Chevrolet vehicles.

Not All Systems Are Created Equally

Before you rush out to purchase a collision-avoidance system, there are a few questions you’ll need to ask at your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer. Aside from the usual inquiries about protecting the vehicle from scuffs and scratches with fender and seat covers, it’s crucial to establish a detailed understanding of how the exact system you are considering works. They aren’t all the same.

Some systems only provide an indication of a vehicle in the adjacent lane if the vehicle is moving relative to your vehicle. If someone moves into the blind spot and remains stationary relative to your car or truck, the system may not alert you. Likewise, some systems only detect vehicles approaching yours from behind. If you’re passing a vehicle, you may not get a warning. It’s best to ask for a demonstration of the specific solution the retailer has in mind before committing to the purchase.

Add Collision-Avoidance Technologies to Your Vehicle

If you want the latest advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) but don’t want to purchase a new car or truck, drop by your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer today. They have backup cameras, parking sensors and a variety of blind-spot monitoring solutions available to make your commute or next adventure safer.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

A variety of technologies are available to help our seniors drive safely. It’s been shown repeatedly that independent mobility improves the wellbeing of those of us lucky enough to have retired after a long career. A backup camera, parking sensors, lane departure warning and blind-spot monitoring systems are great ways to help everyone on the road reach their destination without an accident or a close call. Let’s look at how each of these technologies works.

Backup Cameras for Safer Maneuvering

It’s been proven that having a backup camera on your vehicle can dramatically reduce the chances of accidents or injuries when parking or maneuvering. These cameras mount on or near a license plate, or they can be integrated into a tailgate handle on a pickup truck or third brake light on an SUV. The camera provides an unobstructed view of the area behind the vehicle.

Depending on the make and model of car, truck or SUV you drive, the image from the backup camera can be displayed on the factory-installed infotainment system screen, on a replacement rearview mirror with an integrated display or on a compact stand-alone display. The camera image appears automatically when reverse is selected in the transmission.

Parking Sensors See the Unseen

A parking sensor system incorporates a series of ultrasonic transceivers, usually mounted in the rear bumper of your car or truck. When you are backing up, the sensors emit a radio frequency signal and look for any reflections. Even an item as small as a parking signpost can be detected by the system.

When the sensors detect an object, an audible alert is provided to the vehicle operator, usually in the form of a series of beeps. The frequency of the beeps increases as the vehicle gets closer and closer to the object. Finally, at a distance of about 1 foot, the beeps turn to a solid tone to let the driver know he or she should stop the vehicle.

A key benefit of a parking sensor system over a backup camera is that it’s an active technology: You don’t need to remember to use it, and it alerts you when you need to react.

Lane Departure Warning Systems Keep You On The Straight and Narrow

With advances in computer image processing, we now have access to reasonably priced lane departure warning systems. These systems use a camera mounted high on the windshield to watch the lane markings on the road as you drive. If you veer toward the curb or the lines, an audible warning is provided.

A system called the MDAS-9 not only lets drivers know when they are moving out of their lane, the camera system can alert the driver to impending accidents with pedestrians or cyclists approaching from the side. A small display module mounted on the dash provides a visual indication of the potential accident.

Blind Spot Monitoring Systems

If someone is driving alongside your car or truck but they aren’t visible in your peripheral vision or your side mirrors, they are said to be driving in your blind spot. Two types of blind-spot monitoring systems are available to alert drivers to the presence of vehicles in their blind spots. A sensor-based system such as the USA Spec BSM 200 includes a pair of LED indicators that are mounted in the vehicle and a set of ultrasonic sensors that are mounted behind the rear bumper cover. If someone is in your blind spot, the indicators will illuminate. If you put on your turn signal while someone is beside you, the system flashes the indicators and provides an audible warning so that you won’t change lanes and cause an accident.

Another blind spot solution is a camera-based system. Compact cameras mounted on the side of the vehicle, typically in or under the side mirrors, show an image on a screen when you activate your turn signal. Many of these systems can be integrated into a factory-installed infotainment system screen for a seamless and tidy look.

Seniors Can Drive More Safely with Advanced Automotive Technology

If you or a family member could use a co-pilot on the next road trip, drop by your local specialist mobile enhancement retailer and ask about adding one of the driving safety systems we’ve talked about in this article. They would be happy to explain how the system works and provide you with a detailed quote to integrate the safety solution into your vehicle.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

It was only with the adoption of 3G cellular service that streaming video from our phone systems became a reality. 4G cellular services offer a bump in data transfer speed with a theoretical maximum that is more than 50 times faster than 3G, making it easy and reliable to stream high-resolution video. Dashcam manufacturers like BlackVue have developed cloud-based solutions that allow you to use a Wi-Fi hotspot in your vehicle, smartphone internet access tethering or proximity to a hotspot in your home or office to keep tabs on your vehicle. Let’s look at how it works.

Dashcam Internet Connection

Once you’ve had your local specialist mobile enhancement retailer install your dashcam for you, all you need to do is use a smartphone app to connect your dashcam to an internet connection. Many General Motors vehicles include Wi-Fi hotspots, and Ford recently announced they’d be including 4G connectivity in upcoming models. You can also source a mobile hotspot solution from most key cellphone companies like Verizon, AT&T and Sprint in the US and Telus in Canada.

Once the connection is set up, you can connect to your dashcam anytime it’s powered to see what it sees. You can also configure notifications to be pushed to your smartphone should the motion sensor be triggered while your vehicle is parked or if someone or something comes into the camera’s field of vision. If you are worried about vandalism or theft or want to know which cat is walking across the hood of your vehicle, this is the way to go.

Several models of Thinkware cameras can send notifications about driving impacts or when the camera enters or exits a preselected zone.

Because these dashcams have an integrated GPS antenna, they can be used to provide an alert if someone tows your vehicle away. The difference between the solutions we’ve discussed is in the ability to see the camera image remotely.

Will We See Dashcams with Built-In LTE Connectivity?

Absolutely! In fact, many are already on the market. The Waylens Secure360 4G is one option. Waylens offers several data plans that vary in bandwidth and cost. There are some solutions from lesser-known brands out there. We haven’t tested them in terms of image quality and video compression nor have we determined how easy their interfaces are to use. Be sure you check those things out before purchasing.

The Importance of a Quality Dashcam

As we’ve discussed in detail, having an inexpensive dashcam is great if you want to know if a light was green or red when you entered an intersection or the direction a car was travelling when it hit someone. If you want to capture details like license plates, something that is crucial in identifying vehicles that have left the scene of an accident, then you need a camera with a high-resolution image sensor, high-quality video compression algorithms that preserve detail and excellent hardware that will ensure the system works when you need it. Expect to spend at least $300 on a good quality dashcam plus the cost of installation.

Protect Yourself with a Premium Dashcam

Undoubtedly, we’ll see more and more dashcams with Wi-Fi cloud solutions and LTE connectivity come onto the market over the next few years. Where a dashcam is like having a co-pilot keeping tabs on everything that happens in front and behind your vehicle as you drive, a connected dashcam is your personal night watchman, guarding your pride and joy all through the night. If you are interested in a video recording system for your car or truck, visit your local specialist mobile enhancement retailer today.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.