TailGauge Vehicle Backup Sensors - Sensor Type Comparison Charts

Detection quality under specific weather conditions

		Weather
Type of Sensor	Day Light		Glaring sunlight	Darkness	Dirt/Mud	Rain	Fog	Snow	Ice/Sleet
Ultrasonic Pulse	Very Good, Very accurate		Very Good, Very accurate	Very Good, Very accurate	Good, Very accurate	Very Good, Very accurate	Very Good, Very accurate	Very Good, Very accurate	Very Good, Very accurate
Radar	Good, Accuracy issues		Good, Accuracy issues	Good, Accuracy issues	Good, Accuracy issues	Good, Accuracy issues	Good, Accuracy issues	Good, Accuracy issues	Good, Accuracy issues
Video	Very Good		Poor	Good, sometimes tricky	Very Good	Good	Poor, Hard to read	Very Good	Good, Can fog or ice up

Ultrasonic Pulse - not affected by most weather conditions and accurate down to 1/10 inch.
Radar – Slower, less accurate, either vehicle or obstacle must be in motion.
Video – Harder to read at night, does not give distance or warning.

Why Backup Cameras Are NOT The BEST Backup Safety Solution

Contrary to the common wisdom, cameras are not the best backup safety solution. However, they can be a useful supplement to a proactive system that actually warns the driver.

Although people tend to be more comfortable believing what they can actually see, cameras have two major shortfalls:

They do not actively warn the driver of an obstacle (or person!) behind the vehicle.
They don’t provide an accurate reading of distance. In fact, due to wide angle lenses used in most cameras, the distance shown may actually be quite different from what the driver THINKS he (or she) sees.

TailGauge backup warning systems show the exact distance to the obstacle, (accurate to within 1 inch!) while actively warning the driver; a significantly better defence against backup accidents. They actually eliminate blind zones.

TailGauge has developed the most accurate, most reliable backup warning systems available. This is not a boast, it is a fact. They combine distance readings accurate to within 1", reliability and resistance to ‘falsing’. And the addition of a rear view camera (should you desire it) can be a very useful supplement to our proactive system.

Where it detects

	Distance
Type of Sensor	Car next to you	5 feet behind	10 feet behind	15 feet behind	Blind spots between sensors
Ultrasonic Pulse	Yes, Very accurate	Yes, Very accurate	Yes, Very accurate	Yes, Very accurate	No
Radar	Yes, Accuracy issues	Yes, Accuracy issues	No detection	No detection	No
Video	Some Times	Yes	Yes	No	No

Ability to detect objects

Type of Sensor	Objects to the side of the vehicle	Objects Behind Vehicle	Moving Objects	Still objects
Ultrasonic Pulse	Very Good. No motion required.	Extremely Good. No motion required.	Extremely Good. No motion required.	Extremely Good. No motion required.
Radar	Varies & vehicle must be in motion. Can false.	Very Good, but vehicle or object must be in motion	Good. Accuracy issues.	Unreliable
Video	Good	Very Good	Very Good	Good

Surface mount vs. Flush mount sensors

Type of sensor

Type of
bumper
for the
sensor.

Ease of

installation

Size and camouflage issue

Detection

Speed and

distance

Peripheral

detection

Appropriateness for use in harsh conditions (such as mud or gravel)

Consumer
vs.
Industrial applications

Surface mount

Great
on all bumpers. Adaptable to any bumper surface.

Very easy. Adheres to the surface of the bumper.

Medium size sensor. Comes with an attractive cover that can be painted to match your vehicle color.

Very fast. Surface mount sensors see farther out than any other sensor on the market, about 15’.

Excellent. Will not only detect objects behind vehicle, will also detect sign poles, telephone poles, trees or hydrants near the rear side of vehicle.

Can withstand mud. Not recommended for environments with loose or flying gravel, glass, or where sensors may come in direct contact with abrasive material.

This is the only ultrasonic pulse sensor that can withstand industrial environments. Durable and accurate. Can withstand extreme cold, ice, snow and salt. Can even withstand deicing solution.

Flush mount

Ideal for plastic or rubber bumpers. Requires an adapter/
grommet for metal bumpers.

Very easy. Does require the drilling of four 1/2“ holes in bumper for the sensors to mount into. Our flush mount sensors are the smallest on the market. They require the smallest drilling hole.

Only ½” diameter, and because of the design, almost invisible on a bumper. Not necessary to camouflage. Virtually invisible.

Very fast. Our flush mount sensors see about 12’ out, farther than any other flush mount.

Good peripheral vision, but not quite as wide a vision as surface mount sensors provide. Focuses more on what is behind the vehicle.

Not for harsh environments.

Ideal for consumer vehicle applications. Attractive, low profile, very accurate. Not for industry.

Surface mount sensors mount on the surface of the bumper, usually through the use of an adhesive.
Flush mount sensors are drilled directly into the bumper of a vehicle, and thus look “flush” to the surface of the bumper.
See Why Our Sensor Options Provide More Flexibility for You for more information.

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