PSA - Why you should BACK IN to your driveway

[john7994]

For those old enough to remember Lucy movies.

No dialog, just music, but full scene

Dialog, but shortened scene

One of my favorite movie scenes

 

[Stratman50th]

Fake! You can't backup while your toad (flat tow) is attached

What you say is true.

 

[AppleDumpling]

To me, it’s very situational. Back-in, head-in, pull through a space, I do all of the above at different times. It depends on several factors: how full a parking lot is, how wide or narrow the spaces are, if the spaces are diagonal or straight, if a sign mandates the direction of parking, if I’m in a hurry arriving or know I’ll need to leave quickly, if I need access to my trunk to load groceries or other cargo, if it’s snowy/icy and I’m driving my front-wheel-drive vehicle vs. my 4-wheel-drive, etc.

I do often back into our driveway, but not always. DH calls it “getaway position”. Backup cameras are very helpful, yet I still always check mirrors and turn to look over my shoulder when backing up. That’s how I learned to drive decades ago, and it is also still required on my state’s road test (you cannot rely solely on a backup camera). And obviously you must be extra careful and cognizant of any children or pedestrians that may be present.

 

[VandVsmama]

I’m not ever going to back up into a parking spot or my driveway. I’m bad at backing up in a straight line.

 

[aprilgail]

Another very sad story that is all too common;
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/reversing-car-kills-bay-area-toddler-18188209.php
You might think that the guy backing in to a parking space is just being a pompous show-off but that is not the case at all. It is far safer to back in as you have a full view of everything when you jump in your car to leave. You and the people around you are far more attentive when you arrive, much less so when you depart. In fact it is my company's policy that we are REQUIRED to back in when we are on official company business. Many of us have taken that to mean when we arrive at the parking lot in our personal cars too, and the majority of cars are parked back-in. Note that driveways in cul-de-sacs are ESPECIALLY dangerous, as traffic does not continue though those streets and kids are far more likely to use the street and driveways in a cul-de-sac as a place to play.

With back up cameras and side cameras in cars now there is no need to have to back in anyplace.

 

[sam_gordon]

With back up cameras and side cameras in cars now there is no need to have to back in anyplace.

Except not every car has those.

 

[longboard55]

We had neighbors who always backed in, never understood why. Now I know.

 

[soccerdad72]

We had neighbors who always backed in, never understood why. Now I know.

Maybe they just needed a faster getaway car.