To me, it seems objectively easier to pull into a parking space forward and then back out of the space when you are ready to leave. You don’t have to line up with the lines while driving backwards, and it’s easier to keep from hitting other cars as well. So why back in? To me, the only advantage I can think of is that you can get out quicker, technically.
Edit: I do not need driving instruction, just wondered why. The reasoning.
This sentiment is why I fully believe at least 50% of you shouldn’t be allowed to operate a motor vehicle.
Which is more dangerous, backing into a parking spot, or backing into traffic?
For the love of God, if you drive a vehicle, figure it out.
I genuinely think the bar for a driver’s licence should be raised to take 50% or more off the road.
Can’t reverse park? Don’t know where oil water and air goes on your car? Lack confidence in certain conditions? Here’s a free bus pass.
Those are all things you need to pass to get your driver’s license here in The Netherlands. We still have idiots on the road. Granted, they don’t (or at least, very rarely) slam their vehicles through the fronts of stores and houses, but we still got idiots doing idiot things.
Where are you from where those things are not part of a driving test?
They make you check for water or air on a test or expect you to know? That would be novel in Canada.
Yep, in the UK it’s part of the theory test, you have to know how and when to check air and fluid levels in order to get a licence.
Here in the states you need to know how to press the pedals and you’re all set
What if it is a parking lot that has zero traffic. Is it better to back into a confined space or back out into an open area?
Zero traffic would mean it’s an empty lot. If there’s a curb or cement blocks preventing pull through, I’d still back into a spot.
But to answer the spirit of your question, it’s easier to back in to a confined spot due to the steering being on the “back” side and ability to use the side mirrors to line it up. Other than pull through spots, I can’t think of a single good reason to pull in to a parking spot forwards rather than back in.
I agree it can be easier. I prefer it if the spot I am backing into is tight. When I say zero traffic I should clarify to mean it is very unlikely to have another vehicle in motion within your yard when you are parking/leaving.
Generally not a lot of traffic in parking lots.
It’s easier to park backwards compared to forward, specially if the space is narrow.
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Oh my god, exactly this. The US is the only place I know with lots big enough to pull into. Everywhere else, this is a terrible idea.
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I’m always in heavy traffic but also almost always parking at a meter, so there’s a measured amount of space. So I’ve started doing “forward parallel parking.” As soon as my front wheel clears the first car, I turn hard towards the curb at the center of the space. Keeping an eye so I don’t scrape their bumper, I roll forward 2-3 feet, then turn enough left that I’m aiming at the center of the bumper of the front car. I roll forward as far as is safe. Now, I’m probably not in quite far enough to just roll straight back, but I’m parallel to the curb and out of traffic enough that people can get around me while I back up more towards the curb, straighten out and roll forward into the center of the spot. And if I weren’t driving a minivan I could probably be all the way in already.
Exactly, especially if you have a long car.
Here’s an intuitive reason, have you ever used a wheelbarrow? You’ll notice that picking up a wheel barrow to push it is extremely nimble to spin it up around the wheel and dumping the contents precisely. Turn around and try instead to pull on it, and suddenly you can’t make as sharp turns and maneuvers unless you uncomfortably shimmy your feet around. One fixed point of swivel with a long lever behaves differently being pushed than when being pulled. A car has a similar effect in place, driving backwards a car is more precise and maneuverable than going forward. Because the rear wheels act as pivot points and the front wheels have a long arm of leverage to more accurately direct the car, with tighter turn radius than when going forward. This is why experienced drivers agree that reversing into a parking spot is easier than pulling into it.
This is the correct answer
Visibility is way better and traffic rules play to your favor.
When you back in, you already have right of way. Traffic has to wait for you to park and you aren’t reversing into cross traffic.
If you park forward, when you go to leave you have to worry about cross traffic and your head/eyes are far removed from where you need to be looking. You don’t have right of way which means a lot of awkward mashing the brakes when a car or pedestrian pops out of your blind spot.
In short, you can park faster and more accurately and you can leave faster and safer.
The only reason to park forward is there’s a line of cars behind you that won’t let you reverse into a spot. Otherwise, it’s always the right choice.
Listen. Some of us are looking forward. To the Future. The future of pulling out of that parking spot. Not my fault if you stuck in the rear-view, my guy.
It’s called Fancy Parking, sweetie. Look it up 💅
This website! It’s amazing! 🎩
Drive through method makes me happy
I know I’m weird
Now there is something I do in fancy way.
With that write-up, I’m disappointed that there isn’t even one Delorean.
Mind you, parking at 88 mph might explain why the 1st car is waaayy off-centre.
I anyways park the crazy straw style.
It’s…perfect. So beautiful.
I always tell my wife that anyone backing in is an idiot lol I find it funny these people think they are fancy. It’s just silly. Takes more time and doesn’t really make it easier to pull out especially not in a one way parking lot where I see people still do this 🤦
if you think it takes more time, or that it doesn’t make it easier to pull out then you sir don’t know how to reverse park and are so wrong that i’m not sure you have ever reverse parked
Same reason forklift steering wheels are in the back. I drive a fairly long vehicle and a lot of times it’s just easier to maneuver backwards.
Also I have a much wider field of view to look around for people or children not paying attention when pulling out of a parking spot.
If you pull in forwards, you can only see directly behind you until basically your entire car is out of the spot, especially if you don’t have a backup cam. If you pull in backwards, you only have to drive forward a foot or two before you have full 180 degree field of view of everything coming from both directions.
All the sass is just coming from people who aren’t confident in their backup skills.
Visibility. When you back in you have full awareness of your surroundings.
When you back out there’s a gap of time between getting in your car and backing out (opening the door, starting the car, seatbelt, adjusting radio, etc…). If you have cars parked on either side of you, you won’t be able to see the cars driving past you.
Then there’s efficiency. If you get a call while you’re in wherever and have to go somewhere quickly, it’s faster to have your car pointed in the right direction.
Situational awareness is what I use to sum it up. You have it coming in, but not going out.
Because you can easily park like this “|||” and not like this “|/|”. Also, it’s much easier to leave safely.
Okay, but does your car have doors that open like this \o/ /o\ \o/ ? Are you fucking poor?
When you back into a spot, you have way more visibility leaving than you would backing out
All sorts of crazy stuff happens in parking areas. When someone pulls kamikaze-style parking maneuvers, you a really don’t want that to happen behind you where it’s difficult to see what’s going on.
My current car is my first car that has a backup camera, and I actually find it much easier to see backing out of a space with the camera’s wide field of view.
Driving forward, especially in a sensible normal-sized sedan, your view can easily be blocked by someone’s giant Suburban on your left and Billybob’s overcompensating pickup truck on your right, both of which always come with shit parking jobs. Your best chance is to very slowly inch forward and hope any oncoming drivers notice the front of your car moving into the lane before your windows clear the taller vehicles.
But the backup camera sees 180 degrees from the bumper, so you can always see traffic in both directions well before any part of your car might get in anyone’s way.
I can’t imagine a reverse camera being a better alternative to looking out the front windscreen - sure it being a bit further forward then your seating position and wide angle might give it a bit extra visibility around close objects, but it definitely does not offset the advantage of a natural ~200 degree field of view - and that is before you move your eyes or swivel your head. This is much much more valuable particularly for faster moving objects (which are a greater problems).
That said I may be biased because my current vehicle has rear front and side cameras so I get the best of both worlds!
You certainly have more visibility when leaving but you have less visibility when backing into a confined space.
I am on the fence on this. Our office had zero accidents in fifteen years diving in but three backing in dings in the three years since encouraged. Hit a Bobcat, hit a trailer and hit one of the employee trucks.
On the fence because possibly it is more of our office. There is no thru traffic as a private location and there is a fair amount of room to back out where as the parking is relatively tight.
When backing into a spot, you can predict that there shouldn’t be anything behind you. But you should always check your blind spots. I kind of cheat though because I have a backup camera
Possibly it is statically better when dealing with busy and tight parking locations. Ie. Malls or tight office complexes etc. Might be no benefits in low traffic locations where the yard is large enough that strait in driving is easy and backing out is into a fairly open space. Such as my location.
My guys choose to do back in parking after the oil industry started to suggest it in safety meetings. I didn’t really care what option they chose but with the three accidents in a short period, no longer sure backing in is safer in all situations.
I don’t think you should have your license if you don’t know that steering with the back wheels gives you much finer control in you maneuver…
Why is why forklifts have rear wheel steering.
Safety - pure and simple. Visibility is much poorer in reverse an you are more likely to hit someone or something you can’t see - and there a lots less potential hazards like cars zooming past or an errant pedestrian (especially children) in an empty parking spot than there will be in the pathway / roadway when it comes time to leave.
The difficulty is exactly the same and the visibility is much better when leaving the space. Reversing isn’t any harder than driving forwards, especially if you have a backup camera, many people are just unskilled or have low confidence
Reversing isn’t any harder than driving forwards
…
many people are just unskilled
Why would skill matter if it’s not any harder?
Driving forwards and driving backwards are separate skills that both require practice, but one is not harder than the other (only applicable at slow speeds).
For one thing, people are practicing driving forward 99.9% of the time they’re driving a car, so even if it were true that they were equally easy, most people would be much better at driving forwards.
But, it’s obviously not true. Cars are designed around going forward. There’s a huge windshield to look out of, the seat faces forwards, etc. Driving backwards is simply a more difficult activity. It requires using mirrors and/or a backup cam. The seat stays oriented forward, and as animals with front-facing eyes, we’re not as comfortable moving backwards as forwards. In addition, the steering wheels are on the wrong side, so instead of aiming the steerable part and letting the unsteerable part follow, you have to orient the steerable part to push the non-steerable part around.
Reversing isn’t any harder if you are familiar with the skill of reversing. That’s what I am saying.
If you’re familiar with the skill of reversing, reversing isn’t any harder. Hmm. Ok. If you’re familiar with landing a plane, then landing a plane isn’t any harder either.
Actually landing a plane is a lot harder than reversing a car even if you’re skilled at it. Not sure what you’re trying to prove, this is a dumb argument
Obviously reversing is harder, and adding the tag “if you’re familiar with the skill” doesn’t change anything. I added “if you’re familiar with landing a plane” to make that point.
Reversing literally isn’t harder than driving forward.
Landing a plane is way harder than taking off. Your analogy is irrelevant and incorrect
Reversing literally isn’t harder than driving forward.
Of course it is. Don’t be dense. Going forward there’s a huge windshield for you to look through with both eyes so your binocular vision gives you full depth perception. You’re moving in the direction you’re facing. The wheels that can’t be steered follow the wheels that can so you don’t need to think about them because they’ll always just follow.
Compare that with reversing where you’re facing forward but moving backward. You can only get a small, incomplete picture of where you’re heading using either small mirrors or a low-resolution camera. You can try to rotate in your seat if you have a useful back window, but even if you do it’s far away and so most of your view to the rear is going to be blocked by the car’s interior. In addition, you’re pushing the non-steered wheels with wheels that are steered, so that small movements of the steered wheels are amplified, so you have to be much more careful about where you’re pushing them.
There’s no question that driving backwards is harder than driving forwards.
I find it easier. It’s also safer, backing out of a space you’re more likely to hit someone walking or driving past. If you find reversing in to a space hard then maybe you shouldn’t be driving a giant metal death machine.
If you find reversing in to a space hard then maybe you shouldn’t be driving a giant metal death machine.
Or, if you find backing out of a parking space without hitting pedestrians to be hard, etc.
🤞🤞Maybe I’ll get lucky this time 🤞🤞
Its easier to to reverse because you can see better with the camera and mirrors. Its also safer to leave the spot driving forward instead of backing into oncoming traffic.
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if you are getting chased then you just pull out and drive away
this sounds like someone caught you in the wrong bed
And with an empty battery at the same time, not sure how the dude is alive even.
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It was a joke, man. :)
A long vehicle (truck, SUV, some crossovers) is MUCH easier to park with precision by backing up in my opinion.
Especially in tight carparks, it’s much easier to get both in and out with a large vehicle. Plus you can see much better which on a car with no reverse camera is a big plus.
lol at the idea of a truck parking forwards… “How the hell are we going to load this, Lemmy? You’ve pointed the cab at the loading dock!”
