I guess common sense is required. The police can always do someone for "careless driving...driving without due care and attention."
Same here. I don't do a high mileage, but I see so many drivers covertly using their phones while driving. I only notice because they're randomly slowing down, or are slow to move away from the lights, or drift out of lane, or their brake lights come on for no apparent reason, and once I've noticed them it's easy to see that their gaze is below the steering wheel when I pass them. The definition of a danger to others.
See this all the time; following a car on the motorway at a steady rate of progress all of a sudden the speed starts to bleed away and random flashes of brake lights. Slowing then speeding up again.
Better still, reverse ONTO your drive and leave going forwards. Even better, if you can, modify your drive so you can turn round on it. I did that when I lived on an A road. (The alternative was to be like the diva celebrity who lived next door - she reversed off her drive while leaning on the horn so that everyone got out of her way!)
Something else I’ve noticed more recently is that the drivers of massive SUVs appear to be unable to judge the front of their vehicle. Invariably they stop a foot or more further back than necessary, resulting in their ar5es sticking way out, making it even harder for the rest of us to pull out safely.
I drive straight in, hammer it down the back straight and broadside into my favourite parking spot right outside the front porch scattering gravel around as an advance warning to the Mrs that the head of the household has returned from the pub.
Meanwhile, in a parallel universe somewhere.......
That's the least of it. Watching them drag the trolley down the space between the two cars is painful.
Where's the evidence that reversing into the space while turning the vehicle is safer than reversing out in a straight line into an open space then doing the turning while moving forwards? Nowhere I'll wager as the reversing into a space has been slavishly copied from where it is done to facilitate rapid evacuation of a car park in the event of say, a fire.
Caterham drivers say the same about your car.
There probably are studies that have proved it, but a bit of logical thinking is a good guide. In the vast majority of cases, visibility out of the front of a vehicle is better than out of the rear. When reversing into a parking space, the chances of someone else walking, cycling or driving into that space are limited. There's far more chance of someone moving along the lane adjacent to a parking space, so it has to be safer to be provided with the best possible vision of that area. Of course every situation is different, but it makes sense that it's safer to reverse in.
Common sense! As you seriously suggesting its as safe to reverse out of a space as drive forwards!!!??? Firstly even in my E class there is rarely enough space between the rows to be able to reverse straight out without turning one way or the other....and secondly Id have thought that you can obviously see more driving forward out of the space. Even with big cars either side only the front half or so of my bonnet will be sticking out before Id have a reasonable view....reverse out and its about 2/3s of the car out before you can see if its clear. Its also easier to reverse in with the steering wheels at the "back".
Define the danger. If it is reversing into the path of another vehicle then yes, you have a point. Not unreasonable though to expect some compliance from drivers of such cars. If - as I see it - the danger is to pedestrians (esp children) then I'd rather be reversing in a straight line.
Am I to assume you didn’t bother looking at the study I referenced earlier?
Admittedly it’s American, but the same principles apply. In it they observed that “90% of North Carolina’s parking related fatal and serious injuries occurred during a back-out maneuver.” Those are pretty impressive stats for me.
You got me - but I just skimmed it.
OK, it does relate to personal injury (and worse) not just vehicle to vehicle crashes. I'm not going to argue with its findings. All I know is that in my driving I drive as to what feels safest. Reversing into a space the primary instinct is to avoid hitting the vehicles either side WRT to all four corners of my vehicle. That level of attentiveness to that single task leaves me vulnerable to missing a pedestrian. No such concerns if I drove in forwards.
I know my place.
Oh well, it's reassuring that you know your limitations.