The future of car safety is here
New, groundbreaking features can alert you to danger before you even know it's there. But added safety comes at added cost.
Back-over accidents
Possible solution: Rear- and side-view cameras
What they do: Show video, either on a screen in the dash or in a cutout on the rearview mirror, of areas outside the vehicle that may be hard to see.
Availability: Reverse-view cameras are widely available in all price classes. Some luxury cars now have multiple cameras. The Infiniti EX35 stitches together images from all four sides for a bird's-eye view.
Estimated cost: $450
Worth it? Cameras are particularly useful on SUVs and trucks, which have considerable blind areas. (The three-inch screen in the mirror of the Chevy Equinox helped me see a baby stroller sooner than I might have.) One note: In-mirror monitors tend to be smaller than in-dash ones and thus can make it harder to see clearly at night or in the rain. You may also want to consider a (cheaper) aftermarket system with a bigger screen.
NEXT: Fatigue
