I am baffled by reverse parking

[PookieDo]

This might make me sound like a total nut job but today I went to 2 really big multi story car parks which just blew my mind, and I just have to ask people why they reverse into spaces? It is becoming a really irrational thing to me - being held up by 20 people on my way in or out very very slowly reversing back into spaces. I just swing my car in the space front first, then reverse out in one complete movement (unless pedestrians present obviously). No 28 point turns required

In my brain it doesn’t make any sense. It’s much harder and time consuming to reverse into a space than out of one. If you are shopping, your boot is now around the back of the car, close to the wall/another car and you can’t get a trolley down the side of the car so you have to carefully take all the bags down the narrow-ish gap, minding your car and the car next to load your boot.

Am I a loony for letting this annoy me so much?

All this 'much safer' has anyone actually had an accident reversing out of a space in a car park? I'm not convinced that reversing out is that high a risk tbh.

Big cars can get stuck if you drive in though. And sometimes it is a hell of a lot easier to drive out if it is busy.

I think it's one of those things that is fundamentally just personal preference though most of the time.

If I'm supermarket shopping and need trolley boot access then I will go in forwards but apart from that I reverse park. I have a people carrier with a shite turning circle. I can reverse park in to any space, to go in forwards I have to pick a wide space as even on full lock, it just won't turn tight enough to get in forwards.

Reversing I'll be in the space in one swing, forwards I'll be shuffling several times and getting in your way.

The best thing is when you can drive straight into a space and the one in front is also free so you drive through and end up facing outwards without having to reverse.

Annoyingly our local Tesco has bollards which stop people doing this and also mean you can't open your boot more than two inches if you've reverse parked.

I agree with others. Much easier and safer to reverse park.

The only times I don't are in the supermarket, where I want easy access to the boot.

What pp said re safety/visibility.

It's far less wear on your car's components to do your manoeuvring while the engine is warm too.

It also uses less fuel.

People reverse in, myself include, because you can't always see to reverse out very well. Especially true if you end up with some massive SUV next to you blocking the view.

I imagine if it's taking them that long to park then they're shit drivers. I always reverse in because it's easier to pull out. But reversiving in takes me 5 seconds.
Parallel parking on the other hand no thanks.

Because reversing out is much less safe and than reversing in. The always for instance reverse into my front drive. This is because lots of small children/dogs pass by my front door and I go cold at the thought of missing them when reversing out.
Same goes for a car park. I am much less likely to miss seeing something when I reversing (more blind dots) so I do that into a small spa e where there is unlikely to be a pedestrian or child in the space. Obviously I still check and look but it cuts the odds of an accident.

Always makes me chuckle when they revere park in places like Ikea

I park either way depending on if I need the boot or not

"Like a bank robber" .
I always reverse park. Much safer.

Recently purchased a new car. Looks the same (slightly smaller) than previous estate car. It’s REALLY difficult to park, forwards or backwards. It takes several back and forth moves. I think it’s something to do with where the wheels are in relation to the rest of the car. Drives me potty! And I don’t like holding people up...but I can now see some cars are just easier to park

All this 'much safer' has anyone actually had an accident reversing out of a space in a car park? I'm not convinced that reversing out is that high a risk tbh

I’ve had many a dick nearly hit me or my dcs reversing out. Not sure the drivers even noticed.

It would be better if carpark had more space so that you can get your trolley round for reversed parked cars.

I wish I can reverse park more confidently. Every time I do it, I seem to get confused and end up going in the wrong direction. Yep I’m a “28 point turner” i’m afraid😩

I just swing my car in the space front first, then reverse out in one complete movement (unless pedestrians present obviously). No 28 point turns required

If there are no cars parked in the parking bays on either side of your space you could possibly do the manoeuvre in one go.

It is almost impossible to do what you state ^ in by "swinging in" if it's a full car park because you could not get an acute enough swing to do that, driving into the space.

The only surefire way of getting the car lined up is to reverse in. If you try to drive into the space that is when you end up doing a "28 point" manoeuvre.

What I know for a fact, due to living in a very rural environment is that drivers in general are appalling at doing any reversing, I end up being the one to reverse back into a passing-place because the other driver is frozen in fear. My dad taught me to reverse round corners and park between two chairs as practice to pass my test.

So what you are seeing in the car park is someone who hasn't got a clue about how to reverse and are quite frankly making a complete ballsup of what is actually a simple manoeuvre.

Yeah i's generally safer to reverse in - and drive out. AND it's usually easier!

I have worked in plenty of places that have a "no nosy parking" rule.

Inforapenny65 I'd give you free lessons in reversing if it helped, unfortunately i don't think they give enough support to people when they're learning to drive, then people don't have to reverse enough to get the practice, so they lose confidence. A very common problem. Only yesterday I ended up having to reverse backwards down a steep hill because I could tell the driver was really hesitant about it. I was absolutely bricking it incase I drove backwards into the ditch and off the side of the hill (I'm in a really rural environment!)

Seriously, this is covered in your driving test. Maybe you need to have a little think!

It really depends on your car & circumstances. DH wondered why I always go in forwards until I asked him how he was going to get the buggy out of the boot?
My smaller car is usually quite easy to get into spaces either way. DH generally drives our big car and that can sometimes be harder to manoeuvre.
My current car often has to go in forwards as it's electric and charges from the front.

I work in construction. It Is now standard practice to reverse park in construction site car parks. Something like 70% of site accidents happened due to reversing out of parking spaces until a few years ago. We’ve rolled this out across our offices and other depots too, not just live construction sites. Had an email round last week from the team that manage our company cars, vans and plant to say that car park accidents in the last 5 years have reduced single figures.

All this 'much safer' has anyone actually had an accident reversing out of a space in a car park? I'm not convinced that reversing out is that high a risk tbh

Actually yes - in a stationary queue of only a few cars exiting a car park onto the main road - some stupid woman starts reversing out of her car park into my stationary car. I’m sitting there blaring on the horn to alert her and she still doesn’t stop. She was too useless and unaware to be driving but at least if she had been going forwards she might have seen the stationary red car in her way!

I reverse because I find it easier. Because of the shape of my car, I can’t see the end of the bonnet if I’m going forward. I can though, in a mirrors see the exact space between the back of my car and the next car

If you’re scared when reversing (and I admit I don’t like it when people are watching), you can flip one of your wing mirrors down quickly to give you a better view. Or put your window down and you can look out to see what’s going on.

I use my door handles as a guide as they stick out slightly - that helps me know how close I am.

If I think about the direction too much when steering then I get confused. So I don’t, just steer as you need to normally!

I never got it either OP. Then I got a big car (pick up truck) and find it much easier to reverse into spaces.

I admit though I look for spaces that either have a space either side or that I can drive into. The visibility isn't brilliant in mine for reversing.

I was really proud a few weeks ago when I reversed into a smallish space first time though. Would never have attempted it a few years ago. I find it easier (apart from the blind spots) to reverse a truck than a car. I think it's because I can see the impact of adjusting the steering wheel more if that makes sense.

The only issue I have is my car is long and the boot drops down so if someone parks behind me I can't open the boot.