Rearview camera - should I still look over my shoulder constantly?

I recently failed my driving test because I was slightly too slow backing out of my parking spot. My driving is fine overall and when I looked at the examiner's score sheet after my test, I had lost 0 points for the driving portion where I drove around on the roads by the DMV. For the test, I was using the car from a driving school, and I had some trouble seeing out of the back window, which made backing up quite uncomfortable. I'm not a very tall person and the rear window was partially blocked by seats.

My boyfriend recently got a 2014 Honda Civic, which I'll be using for my next exam and the Civic has a large rearview camera that shows the area straight behind the vehicle, as well as the areas slightly to the side of that. It has helped me a lot with backing up and being able to see behind the car.

I'm wondering, though, how much should I rely on the rearview camera? As it's a safety feature, I imagine using it won't immediately make me fail my driving test, but I understand that I might not be able to see people or cars that are in my car's blind spots. Would it be acceptable if I checked the blind spots and then used the rearview camera to back out, while intermittently checking the blind spots and the rearview mirror?
I can't imagine that I would not be allowed to use such a camera considering that it is a feature that the internet tells me will be required by 2018.

I was taught to check for blind spots, turn my head around and look. You should be able to check for cars left and right using the side mirrors, and turning your head. Nobody can see over the seats completely. Most of us have severe blind spots. When driving I watch traffic knowing some will not be visible, so I proceed cautiously.

You will not be assumed to have a rearview camera to drive safely. You do need to know how to drive safely in other cars. Even if a feature is required in the future, there will be cars on the road not built with them.

You can ask a driving instructor about the camera, but practice without it. You need to drive safely without new tools. We depend on it.

I wouldn't rely on it at all. The fact that all vehicles don't have this feature yet means the examiner is going to want to see that you can handle backing without relying on it. The other thing is that it may just become more of a distraction for you if you haven't used it over an extended period of time.

If you don't turn around the look back, the examiner will fail you right there.

Back up camera or no back up camera.

Yes the camera only looks straight back - you need to look for vehicles coming in from the sides so as not to pull in front of them.

A little shoulder check would be awesome, I know motorcyclists especially would appreciate it.

The rear view camera is only supposed to be used when you are reversing. At all other times check as you did before

Andy C

You are not allowed to rely on it at all. Relying on it is specifically prohibited. You are allowed to use it only as an added safety feature, but must rely only on looking out through the glass.