Explain please

Why do 80% of drivers, male or female, park their car in a car park space front first. It makes no sense to me, the visibility reversing in is fine and I ain't a brilliant reverser, reversing out visibility is lousy and has caused more accidents, through thatthan any other car park accident (I lost a wing some years back through someone reversing out and not seeing me).

So enlighten me

 

No Idea, Fran! :D I always reverse in too - they reckon that women generally don't have good spatial awareness, so maybe that's an excuse for half the population - but what about the other half??

I certainly find reverse-parking a lot easier, particularly in my old astra, and current liana, which both have long noses....

 

Interesting question, Fran, and are you a Viburnum now? If so, tinus or davidii?

Must admit, I nose into side-by-side spaces but prefer parallel parking by reversing into them.

Only my opinion, but I think a lot of people just can't reverse very well! :rolleyes:

 

Lets ask Mrs Pal why she drove into a space next to a metal bollard and reversed out on the same lock taking the front wing and bumper off! She argued that the car should have come out as it went in and it wasn't her fault :confused:

 

I always go into car park spaces front first. It's easier! I agree with Mrs Pal, the car should come out the same way it went in.... :confused:
More women than men do seem to have trouble with reversing. I've been driving 21 years and still find reversing and parallel parking hard.
On the other hand I have no trouble stopping to ask directions, and never shout obscenities at other drivers when they do silly things!

 

There is a warning from the police about car thieves. Just as you are about to reverse out, someone slaps a notice on your back window! You stop, put on the hand brake leaving the engine running and get out to clear your rear window. As you do so, the thief jumps into your car and zooms off with it. Your insurance could be invalidated as you left the key in the car and the engine running.

 

Why reverse into a tight space if you can get in there forwards, by that I mean if there is enough space to swing in, in one movement.
Getting out usually involves reversing into a larger area with less restriction.
It usually causes other drivers less inconvienience as well. How oftern have you been in a queue of cars going into a car park created by people reversing when they could just drive straight in. When its time to leave you can wait until there's a gap in the traffic and then reverse out without causing other people any problems.
Having said all that most british car park spaces are far to small for todays trucks that most people seem to drive.

 

Oooh, I hate to admit I've been driving for 40 years! :eek:

What I discovered is that in England you have to learn how to pass the driving test, not how to learn how to drive.

I failed my test in England in 1978 having had a licence for 10-11 years because "I was too relaxed driving" and didn't bob around looking in my rear view mirror.

In the States you are not allowed to move your head but only your eyes! I took my test in England in a Mini van and swirled my head around as required but could not see anything to do the backup but passed turning my head and looking at the panel behind! Disgusting is all I have to say!

I have also heard comments in England to the tune of "failed my test because it was raining, snowing, the sun was shining in my eyes, there were lots of cars around" ... is this the Blues Brothers for heaven's sake ... ?????

I've skidded and turned 6.5 litre cars around several times and kept on the road and continued my driving without stopping (obviously not having hit anything). T'other half was following me one day on an icy stretch on a Z-bend and I "lost it" and went through the bend like a fish out of water and he said after ... "I honestly didn't know you could handle a car like that!" ... quite a compliment!

Driving lessons should be about driving a car and handling a car not just getting behind the wheel and manoevering from A to B.

PS I'm probably a bit biased as my Dad was a Le Mans driver and also owned a race team, the Ecurie Premier, in the States.

 

:D :D :D :D Watch out for those newbies, though, who don't know these sensible things as they only pay �£10 a hour (is that what is it) to "learn" how to pass a driving test.

I still think it's disgusting and even worse, our Portuguese friend who now lives there is going for her AA Driving Exam to be a driving instructor or whatever it's called at an exhorbitant cost (thousands) and I cringe being in a car with her ... God help you all ... she's in Surrey!

 

Iff the space is large enough must admit i drive straight in if not i do reverse in and find it easy

 

I was never taught to drive bonnet first into a space,only reverse for my test.It was trial and error trying to get it right in places like supermarket car parks.I hate having to reverse out,as I am only 5' 1" and can't turn my body round properly to see where I am going.I have got used to parking front end in and I don't think the cars behind me being very happy trying to reverse back into a space while holding them all up.I learnt Parallel parking for my test and got the hang of it.I seem to do more of that type of parking than front end parking.I wish though I had been shown how to park in a multi storey car park,and get lost in one either.I would soon forget what floor I was on or where I had left Myrtle

 

Paladin - love the story. I seen that one more than once in supermarket car parks.
I was never taught how to reverse into a supermarket car park, though I was taught parallel parking. Just feel a lot safer visibility wise driving forwards out of a space than backwards.

I see from the responses the majority are reversers in. Now why can't you live in my area - :D

 

certainly if one is inexperienced and has to reverse into a bay is much easier to go in front first, so that you can see better how close you are to the next car.

 

How is it is Italy, miraflores?