[orwin]

> Those were added because kids were getting run over and killed by reversing vehicles

If you cannot see kids by looking at your rear window and using your side mirrors (don't know how they're called in english), your clearance might be too high and your mirrors poorly set.

[karlshea]

That just isn't true. There are many cars where it's impossible from within the car to see certain places behind it without the rear camera, no matter how your mirrors are set.

[Silhouette]

There are many cars where it's impossible from within the car to see certain places behind it without the rear camera, no matter how your mirrors are set.

I have never seen any car where it is possible. The entire rear section of the vehicle would have to be transparent and any passengers or cargo behind the driver would have to turn invisible when you went into reverse.

[orwin]

If you have a HGV or a bus, i understand why you would need a rearview camera. Or with an utility vehicle with high or now windows. I doubt that's what OP is driving though, i would guess he has a normal car and does not need to do heavy duty.

When i'm driving my father's utility vehicle, i can only use my side mirrors, so i'm extra careful, but with any normal car i ever drove, even large one like a Xantia, i don't see how i could have missed anybody who can move on two legs.

The only time I've used a rearview camera was on my SO "new beetle", and we both find it quite useless (i was seeing better turning my head).

[Tarball10]

All vehicles have rear blind spots when it comes to short objects (i.e. children), with SUVs and pickups being significantly worse than standard cars.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/03/the-danger-of-bl...

[seanmcdirmid]

Even standard cars are bad these days. I don’t get much from my review mirror at all, especially compared to the Subaru I had in the late 90s. Pillar placement in a unibody might have something to do with it, rear windows also seem smaller.

[SoftTalker]

That's why you check behind the car (and all around it) before you get in and start moving.

[loeg]

Kids are mobile.

[modeless]

You can't see out the rear window in any new car because the bottom of the window is always ridiculously high (I assume for safety in rear end collisions).

[bryanlarsen]

The main reason is that it makes you feel safer. Psychologically you feel more protected with metal between you and the outside world than glass.