Can you reverse park?

Bretrick

Bretrick

Well-known Member
Location
Perth Western Australia
Apparently, drivers in Western Australia are the worse drivers in the country when it comes to reversing. 17% of all crashes in WA happen while in reverse. The National figure being 12%. The study also found that WA drivers are the worse for hitting stationary objects. 23% of all accident claims. Nose to Tail accidents were highest at 28%, blasted tailgaters.
Moves are afoot to ban reversing parking in shopping center car parks and Multi storey car parks because it holds up traffic.
I watched someone on the weekend try to reverse park between two cars, 4 attempts later, with a line of cars held up behind, they gave up and drove away. :)
 

Devi said:
Huh. Are the spots where they're trying to park perhaps not large enough? Do they not teach what we call "parallel parking" in school? Or do they just have a heavy foot on the gas?
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Not sure what goes on in schools.
Driving instructors do teach parallel parking.
I was never tested for parallel parking when I got my drivers license
 

I'm an excellent reverse parker, most people are impressed, I can get into a space in one shunt .. where it might take someone 5 or 6 tries

However with regard to banning reverse parking in supermarket car parks.. that's surely defeated at the first hurdle because it would mean going into a space front first... and then reversing back out again, which will take just as long for most people... and more dangerous
 
Never gave it much thought. I got my license in 1948 or 49 and I'm not even sure if there were "driving schools" in my area. My dad taught me and parking was just something that you picked up as you drove. Traffic wasn't as heavy back then and during WWII which had just ended, gas had been rationed so driving had been curtailed for a few years.

If the driving test for your initial license included parallel parking I can't recall it? Anyway - - --never had a parking accident, fortunately.
 
I know how to drive, and have known how to since about 1960. However it makes me too nervous, so I have chosen not to drive at all. Then about 6 months ago DH decided he might be dangerous because of mistakes he was making. So the car went to live with our son, who is an excellent driver that DH taught to drive several decades ago. He does so much for DH and I that we are so grateful for!
 
I'm not quite sure what reverse parking is, but this former fireman backs in everywhere or preferably uses a pull through spot as far from the where the crowd is heading. We have so many huge pick up trucks (long and tall) and many campervans around that park like they're a compact sedan so sometimes it's not easy to see when backing into traffic if you park nose to curb.

And I can parallel park on either the passenger or drivers side. We have parallel parking on the curb and in islands in the center of the streets so we do both quite often.
 
Bretrick said:
Can you reverse park?
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You betcha!
05
 
The worst drivers I have ever encountered have been in Naples Florida. I was here less than 24 hours so far in 2024 and have already avoided two accidents from elderly that should not be driving. It's like bumper cars here.

In regards to accidents in reverse, I saw an elderly person back out of a spot slowly until they hit the car behind them and then drove off.
 
I used to be able to do it easily. Two things have made it much more difficult. The loss of some neck and back mobility to be able to turn around and look where I'm going combined with a car that has no visible points of reference when looking out the windows. What I mean by that is in the past boxier vehicles I could see a corner of the trunk or truck bed or some of the front fender. With my current vehicle I don't see any exterior reference points. Makes it harder for me. From what I've been told I don't have much to any depth perception.
 
Bretrick said:
Apparently, drivers in Western Australia are the worse drivers in the country when it comes to reversing. 17% of all crashes in WA happen while in reverse. The National figure being 12%. The study also found that WA drivers are the worse for hitting stationary objects. 23% of all accident claims. Nose to Tail accidents were highest at 28%, blasted tailgaters.
Moves are afoot to ban reversing parking in shopping center car parks and Multi storey car parks because it holds up traffic.
I watched someone on the weekend try to reverse park between two cars, 4 attempts later, with a line of cars held up behind, they gave up and drove away. :)
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I don't have a problem with reverse parking or parallel parking. It just takes a bit of practice, and perhaps more importantly the will to do it.

It seems strange to me that someone or an orginisation would want to ban reverse parking between cars in a car park. I was always taught that reverse parking into a parking space is safer than reversing out. As drivers could be potentially reversing out into traffic or into pedestrians that may not be seen because of blind spots created by one's own sitting position within the car. The sitting position is further into the parking space and therefore more challenging to see what is around you when cars are already parked on both sides.

In my experience in the UK, orginisations such as the Institute of Advanced Motorists, and the Royal Society For The Prevention of Accidents, don't recommend reversing out, only to reverse in.

I wouldn't recommend this parking method from the 1980's though:

 
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Parallel parking? Parallel to what?
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This one is the height of arrogance.
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Not too close dear, we have not been introduced yet. Mmm you are rather nice. Kissy kissy!
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This known as Jack Daniels parking, I mean, why have just one bay?
 
I used to live in NYC. If you had a car, you had to be able to reverse park, because of alternate side of the street cleaning/parking. You either reverse parked, or you racked up expensive parking tickets.
To be honest, I'm not too sure I could do that today.
 
I'll answer this with a hat I rarely wear... the smug hat.

I was a driving instructor and advanced motorist. Reversing's never a problemo for me. I quite enjoy going backwards 😁

(Takes smug hat off, goes to walk out the door banging my big head on the way out).

.....

Why do vehicles have all these gizmos now? I'm flabbergasted at them all. I don't have any gizmos, not even a SatNav (not that I need one now anyway).
Parking sensors/cameras? Yes, I understand for those with issues regarding physical problems turning around - it's a boon, but those without those problems - why do they need them?
Use your eyes and brains FGS.

What with those things and self driving cars how can anyone possibly claim to be a 'Driver'? Will there be any need for driving lessons/test in the future? 🤔
 
Quackers said:
Why do vehicles have all these gizmos now? I'm flabbergasted at them all. I don't have any gizmos, not even a SatNav
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Do you know, today is the Christian feast of The Epiphany. That's when the three wise men arrived at the stable where Jesus was born. We are told that they followed a star that came to a stop right over the stable. At church today I got a dig in the ribs for suggesting that star must have been the first ever satnav.
 
Backing is no problem for me. One job I had I drove 18 wheeler pulling a 45ft. trailer. The loading/receiving dock at Serro Scotty trailer manufacturer in Irwin Pa. is set up to where backing in has to be done from the blind side. Blind side equals not being able to see where the back end of the trailer is until you can see where you need to be.

Not necessarily backing in but parking so that you will always be facing forward when pulling out was a safety policy I started with my department. With zero backing accidents in my department & several backing out accidents company wide the change in my department was noted & was added to corporate safety policy. Safety was & still is a high priority in the company I worked for. What I instituted earned me a 8% bump in my salary.
 

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