''WHEN BACKWARDS IS BEST''
24 January 2006 - IAM Institute of Advanced Motorists

In a car park, do you reverse into a parking space and drive out, or drivein and reverse out?

The next time you are in a car park, have a look
around and see how many people reverse into
the space. You will probably find that most
people actually drive in and reverse out.

There is no doubt this may be safer/more convenient if the spaces are
angled, when you have to load/unload items from the boot or if it would
cause inconvenience to other road users.

On the other hand, reversing into the space provides you with several
advantages. The first of these is that it is safer to reverse into
somewhere you can see into (the parking space), rather than reverse out,
into somewhere you can''t (the line of moving traffic). Many people
find that it takes them a few minutes to settle into ''driving mode'' when
they start their journey. Therefore it doesn''t make sense to undertake
a potentially high risk manoeuvre such as reversing when you are not
concentrating fully. It is also easier to control a car going
forwards, rather than backwards when the car is first started and the
automatic choke is activated. The reduction in wear and tear on you
and the car is useful too ­ plus the fact you can pull away immediately
while the engine is cold, rather than labour it doing a reversing manoeuvre.

From a security point of view, reversing close to an object such as a wall
can make it more difficult for thieves to access your boot. If you
need to exit a parking space quickly for personal security, driving out
provides you with better acceleration and improved vision.

Over the next week why don''t you try reversing into a parking space?
You may find it helpful if you have electric mirrors, to lower your left
(nearside) mirror as this will provide you with a guide to your lateral
position. Another option where all the spaces run in parallel rows is
to line your car up with the space in front and reverse back in a straight
line. This should automatically position you in the centre of the space.

For further information and other driving tips, visit the IAM website at
iam.org.uk

www.iam.org.uk

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