Ever thought if you could benefit from fitting a reversing camera to your tractor or other agricultural vehicle, perhaps this guide may help you to decide if they are just a new gadget or a worthwhile safety device for you?
With an all-round view from a standard tractor cab you may think that a reversing camera is not an essential item, but figures published by the Health and Safety Executive1 show that being struck by a moving vehicle was the most common killer in agriculture during 2019/20. Fatal incidents involved tractors, a combine harvester, telescopic handlers, an all-terrain utility vehicle, and even a boat!
Tractor Cameras and Accessories
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What is a reversing camera and how do they work?
A reversing camera aids existing vehicle mirrors by capturing a live video feed directly from behind your vehicle. The camera footage is then sent, either down a wire or transmitted wirelessly, to a monitor mounted in the front of the vehicle. The camera is normally positioned in a suitable location where it has an unobstructed view, it can also be powered by either a hard wired cable into the vehicle’s electrical system, or in some makes/models, they can be powered using a battery pack allowing for a wider range of camera placements.
Why Should you get a camera?
Safety – Agricultural vehicles are inherently cumbersome machines that are often quite difficult to manoeuvre in confined spaces found in a farm environment. Reversing cameras have been proven to reduce accidents whist the vehicle is moving. These can either be low speed collisions with other vehicles or stationary objects, but can be more serious when a pedestrian is involved. With improved safety you can see behind these bulky machines using a reversing camera and manoeuvre them in greater safety.
Time Saving – image having to constantly jump in and out of the cab to check that the intended reversing path is clear of people and obstacles, especially when moving in tight spaces to avoid any damage to the vehicle or buildings. Using a camera will save you time and improve your working efficiency to complete tasks faster.
Cost Efficient – how many times have you already bumped into another object whist reversing around the farm? With a reversing camera you can save money by spotting potential accidents before they happen thus protecting your machinery and farm environment.
Additional Uses - A wireless camera can be used for other uses around the farm. For instance, monitoring seed tank levels, correct positioning of a trailer during harvesting to optimise maximum fill or using a camera mounted on a telehandler arm to load/unload safely.
What to consider when buying a camera system?
Camera Mounting Position – most cars have their cameras fitted around the number plate area but with a tractor we can afford to be more flexible with position the camera. In general it would be best practice to place a reversing camera high up with the camera pointing down and backwards. This provides a better birds eye view of the area immediately behind the vehicle and helps to reduce glare from the sun and keeps the lens clean from road debris.
Camera Viewing Angle – Perhaps one of the most important specifications that you need to take note of is the camera viewing angle. There are pros and cons for installing a wide angle and a narrow angle camera. A small angle, say 60 degrees, will display a small field of view but will have little distortion whereas a wide angle camera of 150 degree will display a large area but the image can become distorted making obstacles that are close in appear a long way back. To combat this dilemma, you can purchase a dual lens camera with two different camera angles where the camera source can be changed to display a close up view or a long range view.
Parking Lines - Some camera systems have electronic parking lines superimposed on to the screen to help the driver to position the vehicle in the correct location. These parking lines can either be static, i.e. don’t move, or dynamic where the lines move in co-ordination with the position of the front wheels to give the driver an idea what direction the vehicle will move when reversed.
Waterproof Rating – Obviously an exterior mounted camera will be open to the elements so it needs to be protected from water and dirt ingress. To protect your camera from the weather it should be marked with an IP (Ingress Protection) rating. The IP rating is usually a two-digit marking system that is applied to the resistance level of an electrical or mechanical enclosure protection. For cameras you should be looking for an IP of 67 or 68. The first digit (6) means that the product has full protect against dust and other particles, a vacuum must be applied. The second digit refers to the level of moisture ingress protection. The 7 denotes protection against full immersion for up to 30 minutes at depths between 15 cm and 1 metre whereas the 8 protects against extended immersion under higher pressure/depths, the submersion test time should be specified by the manufacturer.