No more need motorists fear reversing

A recent survey found that 28% of motorists admitted to being unsure of distances when reversing. Fifteen percent of the motorists questioned said they were very uncomfortable about reversing. Eleven percent said they had been involved in a reversing collision in the last two years.

For most drivers questioned it was a minor accident involving a parked car, a gate post or supermarket trolley. For others it involved toys on the drive, especially bikes, and in some incidents, pedestrians.

The survey carried out by mail order specialist, carparts-direct.co.uk found one motorist who had managed to demolish a gate post, run over a lawn mower and dent two vehicles in the last 12 months - he blamed the design of his vehicle.

Mark Cornwall at carparts-direct.co.uk said, "A lot of vehicles designed in the last 10 years are virtually impossible to park accurately. A reversing kit should have been standard equipment a decade ago. If the driver gets it wrong the cost of minor paint repair can cost a small fortune."

The research resulted in the development of an ‘Easy-fit Reverse Sensor Kit’ to alert the driver to the distance of objects to avoid accidents. Mark Cornwall added:

"Reverse sensors are no longer just an option for the top of the range Mercedes owners, now you can fit a reverse sensor kit to virtually any vehicle, quickly, easily and at a fraction of what the dealers charge. They look terrific and can increase the value of a vehicle too."

Keen motorist Jean Naylor said, "My husband fitted a reverse sensor kit to my car, now I have the confidence to park in the city. I used to take the train or spend ages looking for a huge parking spot. It’s made reversing up to our caravan to hitch up an easy job too."

Once the kit is fitted the driver is alerted to solid objects by an audible tone and the distance will be shown on an LED display on the dashboard. The reverse sensor kit is supplied with simple BT type sockets that plug straight into a tiny box (the brain) that sits neatly in your boot. It’s just a matter of threading the four wires through and connecting up. There is a special drill bit supplied in the kit to make sure even a novice DIY’er can do the job with reasonable ease – and full simple instructions are included too.

The ‘Easy-fit Reverse Sensor Kit’ costs £99 including free UK delivery or less than the cost of repairing a minor scuff on a bumper.