Ask Lemmy

Because it's safer and easier to reverse into a space and drive straight out than it is to drive in and reverse out, potentially into oncoming traffic or pedestrians.

Unless you specifically need access to your boot (trunk) always reverse in.

I love parking closer to the car on my right, where the passe doors face one another. If everyone did this, there would be so much more room to get in and out of vehicles.

And yes, I'm aware that not all cars are single occupant... but too many of them are.

Because, unless you're driving a forklift, the point of a vehicle's rotation is in line with the rear wheels, meaning you can take turns at a much more acute angle when reversing than going forwards. Which makes backing into spaces much easier.

Notice that most of the half-assed parking jobs you see are generally people who have driven forward and left the car parked at a diagonal half out of the space, because getting the vehicle lined up in that situation is more difficult.

Reversing in is actually easier. As your car can turn tigther reversing than going front in.

Guess it's a non issue if you have massive parking spaces, but when space is tight every little bit helps.

i don't drive, but reverse parking is the norm here in hk.

Rear visibility in my car is kind of trash so it's safer if I back into the spot so that I can better see what's going on when I'm leaving

I do sometimes, mainly when it’s a car park with crap visibility as it means it will be easier getting out. I can reverse park easily, and having a rear vision camera means there’s zero risk of hitting anything anyway.

Also means the kids are further from the road when getting into/out of the car.

In my experience I've learned it seems safer to back in because then I can see better when exiting, which is a time of limited visibility, in many cases, already, and that problem is exacerbated when attempting it in reverse.

Because then I don't have to reverse out, which is far more difficult

Much easier to park AND drive away. I see very few disadvantages really

so i can exit my conveyance with style and grace and upon returning i can haul ass out of that place

I have a cargo van. It's impossible to see any traffic coming from the passenger's side when backing up, and there's a big blind spot even on the driver's side. It's a larger vehicle, and it's much easier to maneuver into tight spaces in reverse. (It's why we learn to parallel park in reverse. Try it in forward once, and see.) Also, backing into a parking spot can be accomplished with just a steady gaze at one of the wing mirrors. (Driver's or passenger's side depends on which way you're turning.)

That last point will also be important someday when I'm older and don't have as much flexibility to turn and look backwards. (I was appalled once at a city transportation committee discussion about back-in parking stalls when a city alderperson said that he doesn't look behind his car when backing out, because he can't twist his body. If you can't drive safely, you shouldn't be driving!)

If there's a line of cars and you want to pull out backwards thats a LOT more difficult. If you want to pull out front first it's easier

I worked at a job site prone to flooding so it was mandated to speed evacuations. I liked it and kept the habit.

Then some misogynist asshat told me it's a masculine thing to do and I should be careful to come across more ladylike. So added on a layer of spite and anti-bigot defenses to why I keep doing it.

There's a reason a number of large companies that self-insure mandate backing in for all their vehicles (Schlumberger, Cargill); it's demonstrably safer practice that results in less accidents when leaving the parking space. You can see everything when you back in that was there when you pulled up, and when you pull out, you're right up front looking forward into the lane as you pull out. You quickly learn how to back in, even without a backup camera, if you learn how to use your mirrors.

It is by far the statistically less accident prone method.

I only park backwards at work and it's because I sleep in my car on my breaks, I get more shade on the front side of my car from the tree I park under if I park backwards. Also it is nice saving the ~10 seconds backing out to leave when I really wanna start getting home even though that time saving in practice is miniscule.

Because the front tires move when you turn the steering wheel and not the back tyres

Not only makes it easier to leave when you need to, as you can see everything that you might hit or might hit you.

But going backwards means you can more easily line up in the space as you have more control over your angle.

Like parallel parking is essier when reversing as you dont need to correct once in the space. Just 45 degree to the kerb and straighten up and you are in. Going forward parallel parking takes loads of correction or needs a really big gap to fit in to.

My charging port is in back.

I work as a valet at a car dealership, and backing into spots makes it easier for people to just get in the vehicle and drive. The thing I find funny is that the sales team can't park worth a shit. They park crooked, can't back into spots, and they still have a sense of superiority when it comes to anything related to the operation of vehicles.

Depends on the car and the parking lot, for me. When I drive my mom someplace we use her van, it's easier for her to get in and out that way. This van has a shorter front end, and no backup camera to compensate, so I back in and pull out of spaces so I have better views as I'm moving.

When I drive my sedan with my wife and kids, I pull in to spaces and back out, because the sedan has a much longer front end and a great backup camera/radar alert system that makes backing out of spaces the safer option.

Is backing into parking spots not the norm in the US? Here in Germany we back into parking spots most of the time, mostly because the spots are too narrow or short to enter forward. We also learn this in driving school and it's pretty much an essential skill that's expected from drivers in Germany.

Sometimes backing in seems easier than backing out

I thought it was pretty obvious to everyone that it’s because it’s easier to get out that way. You don’t have any blind spots. Easier for you to back into the spot than to back out of it (angles permitting).

It takes advantage of right-of-way to avoid collision while backing.

I'm following you. When you decide to back in to your parking space, you have the right-of-way over the lane until you have completely left it. I have to yield to you, even if you come to a complete stop in the lane of traffic. While your vision and attention is compromised due to backing, I am responsible for avoiding you.

When you are attempting to back out of the parking spot and into my lane, you do not have right-of-way until you are fully established in the lane. Despite your vision and attention being compromised due to backing, you are also responsible for avoiding me. I don't have to yield to you until you are completely within the lane.

Because you have more control and visibility both when you get in and get out.

You can fit in more easily. Having the steering axle in the back relative to the direction of movement allows you to drive tighter curves (like a forklift).

Safer when pulling out of parking stall. Less blind spots.

Although I don’t back in. I drive through from one spot to the next in front of me. So I can drive out.

Much easier to pull out after, and I can leave quicker despite taking slightly longer to pull in.

I worked for a company that provided a car (incidentally a ‘benefit’ I will refuse in any future scenario).

They explicitly told us we had to back in to our parking spots whenever possible. They implied that some data they had showed it reduced accidents.

My mom does this every time she parks, even in our driveway. She's always said it's so if her car stalls, it's easier to get it jumped or towed out of the spot.

I have way more maneuverability backing into a space.

Think of it in terms of circles (well, arcs, really) . If you front park in a space perpendicular to the road, your front wheels make a large circle and your back wheels a smaller one. The parking space needs to be big enough to accommodate the larger circle. If you back into the same space, the larger circle happens on the road.

As everyone else has said, mostly convenience. Easier parking, quicker leaving, generally safer. If I'm early to work I'll "drive-through" an empty spot to park with the nose outwards. The rearview mirrors make it very easy to keep track of where your car is going.

Occasionally I've also managed to do some stupidly tight parking jobs where I literally had to climb out of the trunk :)