PURPOSE: To provide a rearward image pick-up device for a vehicle, with which the traffic state in the rearward periphery of the vehicle can be checked in a short time without complicated operation.

CONSTITUTION: An obstacle sensor 6 for detecting rearward sides and a distance sensor 7 for detecting obstacles in a further far rearward are installed at a rear end of a vehicle, and images taken by a video camera 4 is displayed on a display unit 2. The camera 4 is set in a wide angle mode in general including the time where the obstacle sensor 6 is detecting obstacles through a judgment and visibility control circuit 8, and on the other hand, is set in a narrow angle mode while there are other vehicles only in the detection range of the distance sensor 7 and the vehicles are positioned in such specified relationship that the driver of the vehicle desires to obtain the feelings of distance between own vehicle and another vehicle so that the driver may check the rearward with the same distance feelings through the display unit as in the case of mirrors.