AIBU to ask neighbour to park car elsewhere? Diagram!

[DinoNuggetsRUs]

So I have never had a drive before and idk whether I'm being unreasonable.
My house is on a residential road - there's no through road, I'm not sure whether this would be classed as a cul de sac?
Anyway, my house and drive is right on the corner of where the road angles off and the neighbours been parking their van directly opposite my drive, blocking their own drive in. They have 3 cars/vans and we have 2. So they park 2 on their drive and one on the road opposite my drive.
While not impossible, it makes it really awkward for me to reverse out in the morning. I'm a bit of a crap driver and I've already accidentally reversed into one of their cars and we've only lived here 3 months. It cost me a fortune to fix but they were really great about it.
I'm not sure whether it would be unreasonable to ask them to park a little further up? They seem like really reasonable and kind people but I guess it's not their fault I'm shit at reversing. I essentially have to do a ten point turn to get out.

Reverse into your drive anyway, it's so much easier than reversing out. Safer too as visibility is better both ways. It'll be a doddle once you've mastered it after a few goes.

Not a jab at you personally, OP, but it's quite alarming that it's possible to pass a driving test without being competent and confident at performing a manoeuvre like this or knowing the safest way to park. It's very common for people to struggle with reversing and almost everyone routinely parks nose first (observable on any carpark) so it's obviously an issue with the way driving is taught and tested in the UK.

Go to a supermarket when it's quiet and practice reversing into a bay with plenty of room round it. Then put a couple of empty cardboard boxes close by to make it harder.

Reversing is really easy, it's just very unnatural feeling if you haven't practiced. I used to avoid reversing at all costs in the months following my test until I decided to get a grip of it and practice. I now find reverse parking far easier and more intuitive than driving forwards into a space.

First reverse in the direction of the red arrows I've added to your diagram, then drive forward in the direction of the yellow arrow? If the yellow is pointing towards the end of the cul de sac, then turn round at the end??

My diagram is actually pretty crap.

That seems like the obvious thing to do from my drawing but the 'road' that curves off is more like a gravelly dirt road and very narrow and there are about 3 houses down there that park their car on there too so it's impossible to go that way.

I'm really glad I came on here and asked because otherwise I'd be making myself look a right twat to my new neighbours first I put a dent in their car and then I come knocking on asking them to park their car elsewhere

If your driving is that bad you should take some refresher lessons.

You cannot park in front of your own drive as you don't own the pavement or road outside your property.

@DinoNuggetsRUs, first step is to report your neighbour for parking in front of a dropped kerb. They may not like it, but they cannot do this.

See rule 242 & 243:

www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/parking.html

After that, you should ideally reverse into your own driveway. Safer for you to emerge from your driveway onto the road.

I see you're going to try reversing into your drive. I think that will make your life easier. Just keep practicing. If you are worried about being watched go to a quiet corner of the supermarket and reverse into spaces.

I'm actually a really great driver going forwards! I pride myself on how safe I am as I have a young'in to think about who's usually in the back. I'm just not used to reversing as I've never often had to do it. I was just being self deprecating as I already had an inkling it's not the neighbours problem, it's mine, before posting.
It's usually as I'm in a rush to leave the house in the morning to do school drop off and get to work on time the van is a good object to direct my frustrations at.

You also need to get their illegal parking dealt with. See Highway Code Rule 242 & 243.

It is important, especially as too many people think they own the space outside their house. They don't. Nor can you park across your own driveway like that.

It could be classed as obstruction. Police told a neighbour not to park in a similar way.

But it IS your neighbour's problem as they're illegally parked!

Once again, see Highway Code 242 & 243.

Plus, you need to have more faith and belief in yourself than how you're coming across. You're not unreasonable in the first instance to think the neighbour's parking is a problem.

It's actually easier to reverse into a tight parking space than going forward. Practice now in summer while it's light

If you reverse into a bay at the supermarket then it’s not usually possible to take your trolley to the boot for unloading.

Reverse onto your drive. You’re basically suggesting they cause a potential problem for someone else.

The fact that you think you're a great driver, when you're not confident at reversing, speak later volumes. Being able to reverse is part of being able go drive.

I'm going to hazard a guess that you've got a huge car as you feel it's safer, but you actually struggle to drive it.

You should always reverse on to your drive so you drive forwards into the main road. If their parking still makes this difficult then you could still ask them not to park there though, particularly as its a van its probably making it even mroe awkward than if it was just a little corsa or something. Suggest they park a bit more in front of their house so that at least you can turn one way or the other easily, even if it means you have to go up the road and do a U turn.

But mainly, reverse in and drive off. Whilst not illegal to reverse off, the highway code is pretty clear that you should reverse on to the driveway if you can, along with not reversing out of side roads on to main roads. It's good practice to always do the reverse towards the least 'busy/risky' option

Correct. Highway Code 242 & 243 is very clear on this which means that van is illegally parked.

IIRC, only three of us in this thread have made this point which shows how little others know of the Highway Code itself.

I'd ask the police non emergency number to have a word with them over blocking a driveway (doesn't matter if it's their own) and parking on a corner (blocking the view illegally).

And you need to learn to reverse into your driveway.

And that makes four of us now. 👌

Absolutely spot on in all respects.

@AntiHop you would be guessing wrong
Also, I just don't reverse often as I've never needed to, but that looks as if it's about to change so thanks for your input and hope you have a great day!

You'll get good at reversing really quickly! And then you can enjoy reversing into parking spots all over the place.

That said, I agree that's an annoying place for them to park...