To ask for help on reversing on a narrow country lane

[hooliodancer]

Before I start, I accept the "you shouldn't be on the road' responses which are inevitable on driving threads. But I am fine and confident on the road, been driving long distances for years, just worried about this.

I need to travel for 2 miles along a single lane road with very rare passing places. Partner has gone to work, I have just decided to do this journey and need some reversing tips.

I was going to take some special reversing lessons as I will do this journey regularly in a few months.But I really need to do it today, and feel I am being pathetic avoiding it.

Apart from reverse parking I have only once in 15 years of driving had to reverse a long distance. It has just never happened!

So please can I have some technical tips? Thanks.

Firstly, make sure you keep track of each passing place as you pass it, then you will know how far back you have to go!
Don't think of it has having to reverse a long way, go slow and take it in your own time.

Just go slowly and take your time!

I thought this was a live-action post and you were stuck in your car!
Only one car needs to reverse remember, if you’re lucky it won’t be you.

If it’s a road as narrow as you describe, there’s a high chance you won’t even see another car. Keep looking as far ahead as you can when you approach a passing place so you can wait in it if there’s another car, even if it’s a great distance away. There are loads of roads like that near me but I don’t think I’ve ever needed to reverse!!

If you do need to reverse, just go slowly!

agreed, keep track of the last passing place. drive with windows down and radio off so you may hear another car approaching. go slow as is obvious on a road like this.

if you have a modern car reversing will be harder as they are badly designed, but with practice you will get there. never rush, the other person will have to wait.

I drive roads like this regularly. My advice - slow down a lot approaching passing places, so if you see another car one of you can pull over and nobody needs to reverse.

And if you pass one and need to reverse, just take your time and do it slowly. If you need to, reverse in straight line passed the gap and then drive forward into it.

I have done the journey a lot with my partner, and it seems that quite a lot of people drive at you, forcing you to be the reverser!

I have just told myself to be calm and slow.

But how do I stop the car straying from a straight line?, kind of wobbling?

I was taught by an ex lorry driver, and often drive vans, so this isn’t what you will be taught by a driving instructor but I find it easier...

Don’t turn round, use your wing mirrors. (Don’t use interior mirror either)

So when you know you are going to have to reverse. Stop. And have a good look for anything behind you, bollards, posts, pedestrians etc. Turn in your seat, move your head around, have a GOOD look.

Once you have settled back in the seat, put it into reverse and look in one wing mirror then the other, see how the edges of the road line up with the back of the car, now creep backwards, look at one wing mirror then the other, a second or so for each, if the edge of the road is looming closer in one mirror than the other, correct it by steering (turn the top of the wheel away from that mirror) and keep on doing that..

You will probably overcorrect slighltl, so watch for the edge of the road in the opposite mirror and steer slightly away when you see it.

Every few seconds, slow down a little and check for other vehicles or pedestrians coming up behind you, and keep on doing that. When you see the lay-by steer gently into it.

If it’s tricky to get the car into the lay-by then keep reversing back past it, then drive forwards into it instead.

And don’t worry too much. I live on a road like that. Some ppl are bloody useless at reversing. As a local I kind of expect to be the one to back up, but I also recognise other locals cars, and some of them have NEVER learned to back up competently.

Get used to using your mirrors! Try practising in a quiet car park.

You need to look at the side of the road in your wing mirror and look out the back window. Slight movements on your wheel to adjust going straight. Keep clutch low and go slowly, you don’t have to go fast

And yes, go slowly! There's no rush - better to be slow and safe than be over-confident and cause an accident.

what others have said about the wing mirror, use that , and line the edge of the road against the edge of the car.

Creep backwards, using your wing mirror to keep those lines parallel.

Flick ur eyes between the wing mirror and the back view mirror, but mainly use the wing mirror.

Go very slowly.

If it is any comfort, when I started driving and moved to Wales, I put the car in a ditch more than once when reversing.

Now I am great at it. it just takes practice.

Good luck!

Just refuse to reverse and make the other person reveres (well that’s what most people seem to do here). I’m shocked how many people I bump into down lanes who are useless at reversing, people that have been driving for years, people who have tiny cars and still make a pigs ear of it.

Practice, go out when it’s quiet and reverse down that lane

I think I’m actually better at reversing than I am going foraward, which is slightly worrying.

I'm going to disagree here. Having recently come across a driver on a single track road who had to reverse to let me and two following vehicles through, I watched as this person sat solidly facing forwards, glancing from wing mirror to wing mirror, and then continually only managing to reverse a few feet before veering off to left or right.
It is far easier to turn yourself round. Undo the seat belt if it makes it easier, swing your body round so you have a clear view of the road behind you, and support yourself by placing your left arm at the back of the passenger seat. Reverse the vehicle steering one handed. Doing it this way gives you much better vision, and with practice you can be a lot quicker. Find a quiet car park to practice in op.
Of course this is no good in a van or a lorry!

I so appreciate your responses, they have all been really helpful!

I am going to do it! I had been planning on parking in a nearby car park and walking...I did that last time...

what everyone else has said - particularly using your mirrors not turning to reverse
If the other b* keeps coming although he has just past a passing place - don't make an issue of it - otherwise you could be sitting there facing each other until someone does the right thing.
I live a couple of miles down a single track road and have memorised the passing places (and whether they hide a hidden hazard - a ditch or hidden bollard) and as I approach one try to see whether there is someone heading my way (easier in the dark as you will see the headlights)
although these single track roads are NSL nobody but nobody should drive at the LIMIT unless they are ignorant. Take it very slow - know where the corners are, where the farmer might let out a herd of cows, where there are regular tractor runs between farm and fields.
Above all be patient - you will get used to it - and always thank the person who has pulled in to let you proceed

Like pps have said, wing mirrors all the way.

Go slow and turn the top of the wheel away from the side that you're moving towards.

If you get in a pickle pull forwards to straighten up and start again.

I used to live on a long narrow bendy city street that dead ended with parking down both sides and no turning place, so had to learn.

DH looks in the rear view/ over his shoulder and complains when he can't do it, but won't listen to me about the wing mirrors despite having to get me to park his car in our carport for two years at our last house.

If it’s tricky to get the car into the lay-by then keep reversing back past it, then drive forwards into it instead.
I like this ^^.

Breathe. Try not to feel harassed. The other driver will have to wait. Ignore them if they get impatient. Just concentrate on what you're doing. I find using wing mirrors easier than turning my body for longer distances.
Every time I leave the house in the car I potentially have to do this. We live at the end of a short single track road with no passing points and a bend at the beginning so you can't see any traffic already on its way up.
It's a busy wee stretch of road sometimes. Some days it can take a couple of attempts to get down it. Not such a nice start to the day having to reverse round a bend a couple of times. I always feel accomplished afterwards though.

Narrow country lanes I am fine to reverse down. My driveway otoh... too much house & fence!

nike good one isn’t it?!

I’m pretty competent at reversing now since I was taught those tricks, but there are some lay-bys I use that are near impossible even for an experienced reverser because the edge of the road drops away and you just can’t see. As my instructor said, no shame in making it easy on yourself!

lucipeople only veer when using mirrors because they are going too fast and overcorrecting. A bit of practice will sort that out. I managed to reverse a van and trailer half a mile down a track using that technique. It does work.

Good luck!

If necessary, reverse slowly and treat it as small sections - make it manageable.

If you encounter a white van man, as I did as a learner, look panicked, send him a beseeching look and blow him a kiss. Not the best solution, but it did work. Remember that you may not necessarily need to reverse, it may be better for the other car to do so.

Here is what I did when I was teaching my friend to drive my car for a trip we were going on.

I choose a big car park (like an out of town mall or large superstore) and a quiet area of it, or a time when it was quiet. We went later in the evening.

There she could practice all the manoeuvres she needed to free of traffic or real obstacles, before moving on. You could do a version of this - use the parking or road markings as guidelines to practice and set yourself a distance each time. It might help to practice in a large unconfined area first.

Wing mirrors, they’re your friend! You can get an additional small angled mirror called blind spot mirror which helps a lot with reversing

www.amazon.co.uk/Blind-Spot-Mirrors-Cars-360%C2%B0Rotatable/dp/B0777FXZY2/ref=pd_vtph_bs_t_1?psc=1&pf_rd_t=40701&pd_rd_i=B0777FXZY2&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=3950386175001893296&_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_wg=lSIu8&pf_rd_r=HTYSB2A3BTT3H1FS27RX&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pd_rd_w=mjtQb&tag=mumsnetforum-21&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&refRID=HTYSB2A3BTT3H1FS27RX&pd_rd_r=226554be-8da0-11e8-9bc0-35f962b77fbf

You could also get parking sensors fitted, but they might be pretty unhelpful depending upon how narrow the road is and how overgrown it is!

Use your wing mirrors, if you see too much road on one side turn the wheel 1/4 towards it to correct. Don't look over your shoulder and don't use the interior mirror.