if your having trouble comparing the distances, perhaps get yourself a fiberglass rod, orange the ones the use for snow plows, and attach it in an easily removeable manner so it sticks out a little from the rear bumper sideways to give you a visual reference point, again make it so it slides into something so you can easily take it off when its in the way
I don't have an issue seeing i have an issue with other recognizing my intentions, so I am considering installing a bright red LED trun signal light just around the corner from my tail light so anyone up at my corner can see it flashing better than the tail light or at the point of where the tail light is not in their field of vision anymore, that will still be.