New Cars Must Have Reversing Cameras By Law Now. My Camry Is 14 Years Old. Here Are The 7 Reasons I Gave It One For $119.99 — Instead Of Buying A New Car
Last updated July 10, 2026 · 6 min read
It started with my son, over Sunday lunch. He slid his phone across the table and said, "Mum, did you see this? Reversing cameras are the law on new cars now."
He wasn't having me on. From November 2025, every new car model sold in Australia has to be built with a reversing camera and rear sensors. It's a road rule for the manufacturers — it's called ADR 108/00 — and by November 2027 it covers every new car, full stop. The government's own assessment says the cameras will save lives and prevent hundreds of injuries.
I read that and thought about my own neck. I have arthritis in it, and in my left shoulder. My physio once told me, "Jenny, driving won't hurt you. The way you twist to reverse might." She was right. Turning my head all the way around to back out of a parking spot was a wince, every single time — and I'd started arranging my life around it. Parking a hundred metres away at the shops. Avoiding the Westfield carpark on weekends.
So there it was in black and white: the people who study road deaths for a living decided reversing cameras are so important that carmakers are no longer allowed to sell a new model without one. And my car — the car I actually drive — had nothing.
A new car with a camera: $40,000 or more. A car audio shop quoted around $1,100 to fit a screen and camera into the Camry, plus a day without it. Then my son sent me one more link: "Mum, it's $120. It plugs into the cigarette lighter. If you hate it, they give your money back."
I've now had the BetterGardens 7" Touch Screen in the Camry for five months. Here are the 7 reasons it worked for me — starting with the one the government worked out before I did.
1. The law says cameras save lives. Mirrors and neck-twisting weren't enough.
Governments don't mandate gadgets. They mandate seatbelts. They mandated ABS brakes. And now they've mandated reversing cameras — because the area directly behind a car is the one place your mirrors simply cannot show you, no matter how hard you twist.
Here's the thing nobody says out loud: the law protects people buying $40,000 cars. The rest of us — driving perfectly good older cars — are exactly the drivers who need the camera most. Nobody's coming to fit one for us.
2. I can see everything behind me — without twisting my neck.
This is what the law is actually about — and it's what changed my week. When I put the Camry in reverse, the screen switches to a big, bright picture of everything behind the car, with coloured guide lines showing exactly where I'm headed.
My chin stays level. My shoulders stay square. The wince is gone. I still check my mirrors like I was taught fifty years ago — but I'm no longer wrenching my neck around like an owl to do the one job my body hates most.
3. It plugged into the cigarette lighter. That's the whole installation.
This is the part that makes it possible for the rest of us. New cars get their cameras on the factory line. Mine got its camera from a suction mount, a plug in the cigarette lighter, and about ten minutes — including the cup of tea.
No mechanic. No tools. No cutting into the dashboard of a car that's never given me a day of trouble. It works in any car — if your car has a power socket, you're in business.
👉 SEE THE SCREEN JENNY USES — SAVE $160.00 TODAYTrusted by 2,000+ Aussie drivers · 30-day money-back guarantee4. The camera — the exact thing the law requires — comes free.
Here's the part I got wrong. I thought I was buying a fancy screen for maps and music, and the camera was a throw-in. It's the other way round. The camera is the thing the law is built around — and it's included free, worth $80.00, with all the cables.
The screen earns its keep too: my maps, calls and music connect from my phone — iPhone or Android, wireless — and sit up big in my line of sight instead of balanced on my knee. But the camera is what gave me my confidence back.
5. Shopping centre carparks don't scare me anymore.
You know the spot. Concrete pillar on one side, someone's brand-new ute on the other, and a queue of cars waiting for you to get on with it.
That used to be my heart-in-mouth moment. Now I watch the screen, follow the lines, and slot in — first go, most days. No more paying for the awkward faraway park. No more "I'll just come back Tuesday when it's quiet."
"I thought I was stuck with my outdated system, but this made my car feel modern again. Super easy to set up, and I love the touchscreen!"
6. It cost $119.99. The law didn't come with a cheque.
Let's do the maths my son did for me. The government made cameras compulsory — on cars that cost $40,000 and up. A car audio shop will retrofit one for around $1,100, plus a day without the car. This kit: $119.99, delivered free, fitted by me in ten minutes.
Same big screen. Same reversing camera. Same hands-free calls and maps. The only thing missing is the four extra zeros — and the part where a stranger cuts holes in a perfectly good dashboard.
👉 GET THE SCREEN + FREE CAMERA —7. If I'd hated it, I'd have got every cent back.
This matters more than people admit. Half my bridge club has a story about a gadget from a Facebook ad that took six weeks to arrive from overseas and broke in a fortnight — with nobody answering the emails.
Better Gardens is an Australian company that ships express from Brisbane. Mine arrived in three days. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee — use it in your own car, decide, and if you don't love it they refund you. And if anything goes wrong in the first 90 days, they replace it free. There's a real support team on the other end of the email. I checked before I bought. You should too.
The law made reversing cameras normal. This kit just makes them affordable — for the cars the law forgot.
The Exact Kit I Bought — Today's Offer
| BetterGardens™ 7" HD Touch Screen CarPlay | $200.00 |
| Reversing Camera + Cables (FREE) | $80.00 |
| Total Value | $280.00 |
| Today's Discount | − $160.01 |
| Your Price Today | $119.99 |
- Free reversing camera included — worth $80.00, with all cables and the extension lead
- Works in any car — plugs into the cigarette lighter, no mechanic, no wiring
- Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto — maps, calls and music on a 7" HD screen
- 30-day money-back guarantee + 90-day free replacement warranty
- Australian owned — shipped express from Brisbane, free, in 2–6 days
Don't take my word for it
Trusted by 2,000+ Aussie drivers — here's what verified buyers say.
"I was always distracted trying to check my phone for maps. Now I have everything right in front of me – and I can use my voice to control it!"
"I wanted CarPlay, but my car didn't support it. This gave me the same experience without spending thousands."
"I thought I was stuck with my outdated system, but this made my car feel modern again. Super easy to set up, and I love the touchscreen!"
The questions I asked before buying
Is this the same as what the law requires on new cars?
The rule (ADR 108/00) is about how manufacturers build new vehicles — it doesn't require your car to have a camera, and this kit isn't a legal certification of anything. What it gives you is the same kind of camera-and-screen view that new cars are now built with: a clear picture behind you, with guide lines, the moment you select reverse.
Will this work in my car? It's quite old.
Yes — that's the point. If your car has a cigarette lighter (power socket), it works. No wiring, no mechanic. It runs on anything from 7 to 32 volts, so old sedans, utes, 4WDs and even trucks are fine.
I'm not good with technology. Can I set this up myself?
If you can charge a phone, you can do this. Mount the screen, plug it into the power socket, connect your phone. Three steps, under ten minutes. The manual is in the box, and there's an Australian support team on email if you get stuck.
Does it work with my phone?
Yes — both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wired or wireless. Maps, calls, music and messages all come up on the big screen, and you can control it by voice with Siri or Google Assistant.
Will it stay put on the dashboard?
It comes with a strong suction mount that holds firm, even on rough country roads. There's also a stand option if you prefer it sitting on the dash.
What if it breaks — or I just don't like it?
30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. And a 90-day warranty: if anything stops working, email support@better-gardens.com.au and they replace it free.
Is it really an Australian business?
Yes — Australian owned and operated, based in Brisbane. Orders ship express from the Brisbane warehouse within 24–48 hours and arrive in 2–6 business days, free, with tracking.
Try it in YOUR car for 30 days — risk free
Order today, plug it in, and reverse out of the tightest spot at your local shops. If you're not thrilled, email the Brisbane team and get a full refund. No forms, no arguments, no hoops. The law looked after new cars. This is how you look after yours.
YES — GIVE MY CAR THE CAMERA · $119.99 ▶▶Save $160.00 · Free express shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee · Only 43 leftMARKETING DISCLOSURE: This website is a market place. As such you should know that the owner has a monetary connection to the product and services advertised on the site. The owner receives payment whenever a qualified lead is referred but that is the extent of it.
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