About Car Parking Sensors

If you are buying a new car or truck, chances are you have seen parking sensors listed within the specifications. You may consider what parking sensors are and how exactly they work. The following will tell you exactly what you need to know about car parking sensors.

Parking sensors are a type of proximity sensors used to alert drivers of unseen obstacles around their car. These sensor use ultrasonic proximity detectors that are embedded in the rear and front bumpers. These ultrasonic proximity detectors measure distance at lower levels. The ultrasonic sensors determine the time taken for each sound pulse to reflect back toward the receiver.

The distance of the obstacle and the speed in which the car is traveling determines how the parking sensors warn the driver. The alert system points out to the driver in which direction the obstacle lies and how far it is from the car. These warnings are shut off when the car reaches a specific speed. You can shut off the parking sensors when you are traveling in stop and go traffic.

There are two types of feedback received from these parking sensors. They are audio and visual feedback. With audible feedback, the driver will hear a series of beeps. The frequency of the beeps indicates the distance from the obstacle to the car. Continuous beeping, of course, indicates that the car is right next to the obstacle. Visual feedback consists of LCD and LED readouts.