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The Benefits Of Backing Into A Parking Space

ByMatsumoto Naoki-February 24, 2021

Do you know that thousands of people get injured and some of them even get killed by drivers who are backing out of driveways and parking lots? Sounds unbelievable, right? Well, there’s a simple way to stop the madness. Do backing into a parking space so there is no need to back out.

You can see that everyone does back parking in a parallel parking space. Do the same in the spots that are perpendicular to the wall and the rate of driveway accidents will decrease dramatically.

Why Should You Be Backing Into A Parking Space?

Backing into a parking spot is easier these days because most modern cars have parking assist system and backup cameras. But, why do you do reverse parking when heading directly to the parking spot seems more convenient?

Well, here are some good arguments in favor of backing into a parking space:

Forward parking can cause accidents. (Photo Source: tabletmag)

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Easier To Do 

Reversing into an empty parking spot is always easier than reversing to back out into a busy street. The maneuvering time is likely to be similar to the forward parking but it is easier and safer.

This is because the back wheels are made unchanged in direction in relation to the car, which will make the pivot point of the car the middle of the rear axle. Therefore, the rear wheels will cut the corner because they don’t follow the same patch as the front wheels. When car space is limited, your turning circle might not be small enough to get into a tight space, which forces you to make a couple of gos to get in, straight.

It is obvious that you barely have room in a parking lot in order to maneuver your car to be driving directly into the space. Then, you have to straighten up inside the space itself. There is not easy to do with the pivot at the back of the car that often causes others to reserve half out of the out of the spot just to be straight. In contrast, when you reserve in, you place your pivot point in a position where you can get into the car space more easily and perfectly.  

Why backing into parking spot is better? (Photo Source: pinterest)

Safety For Others And For You

Backing into parking space isn’t just for convenience though, it’s also safer especially in a busy car park. Clearly, you are more likely to see pedestrians, shopping trolleys, toddlers and other vehicles coming.

When you reverse drive the car to go into a designated parking space, you can drive forward at the time of going out. It means that you will have better views of the surroundings when coming out, avoiding smashing into the oncoming traffic or bumping into pedestrians. Also, back parking means the car’s boot will be against a wall in the parking zone. It prevents thieves from breaking into the vehicle.

Easy Access To The Engine

If you need to access the engine for any reason when the car is parked, backing into a parking space is the right choice. You can easily check what’s going on under the hood.

Convenient In Emergencies

You can drive the vehicle straight out of the parking lot during an emergency. You cannot have this convenience if you forward drive to park the car.

Always reverse park to get these benefits and avoid unnecessary risk and hazards. If you don’t know how to do reverse parking, jump into the next section.

Reverse parking is easier with modern cars. (Photo Source: howcast)

How To Back Into A Parking Space

Backing into a parking space is nothing complicated. If you are doing it for the first time, follow these instructions:

  1. Drive your car to the parking space in a way that the bumper stays slightly in front of the designated spot. Turn the emergency flashers on so that other drivers become aware of your intention.
  2. Check for oncoming vehicles and pedestrians from the front and behind before shifting the transmission to reverse. Turn the steering wheel to the right when you are moving backward and then straighten it when the car enters the spot.
  3. Keep doing it until your car’s nose is in line with the nose of other vehicles in that row. Shift the transmission into ‘Park’ and you are done.

Want to see everything in more detail? Check out the video below: 

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Conclusion

To sum up, backing into a parking space has two main advantages which are safety/line of sight and maneuverability. For your information, most British know how to reserve into a parking space since there are four “maneuvers” that they have to learn to pass the driving test including backing into a parking spot. 

Matsumoto Naoki is senior car blogger at Car From Japan. Having background in mechanical engineering, he has a unique perspective on a lot of new car innovations. Prior to Car From Japan, Matsumoto was Mechanical Design Engineer at Yajima Plant, Subaru Corporation. His articles provide detailed DIY instructions and how-tos to help you get your new car on the road. If you want to save money and feel more confident when working on your cars, you should not ignore Matsumoto’s sharing posts. He presents driving tips and tricks for everyone through easy-following steps and mechanically but friendly writing.

Comments

cdba20:56 December 03, 2018
Reply

I guess it all depends on the situation and the driver’s experience behind the wheel. Some find it easier to reverse, others not.