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Never have, never will. Don't drive such a large vehicle if you can't park normally safely. If you can't back out safely, try parking further away as walking a little extra never hurts.
Anyone who drives a pickup truck will tell you that it is much harder to nose-in to a 90-degree parking spot without having to reverse two or three times to straighten out the line. When backing in a truck, it can be done in one reverse line.
Even with cars the kind of drivers we have around here same goes. The only difference is they don't care if it is not straight. next person's job is to park at the same angle so that distance stays the same. No big deal!
It's much easier to park by backing in. If you know how to do it then may be it takes 2 seconds more than the nose in. It is much safer as well. However if everyone particularly close to mall and shops and such start doing it - it will be a terrible mess. So if you want to park by backing in try to do it a bit away from crowd.
Pulling in.........never backing in...........if there is space in front of me, I would go forward easily, and get out that way, always watching for people, pets, and other cars. I never back my car, If I can help it. The reason:
My best friend killed one of his children backing her car, and another friend killed her dog.......
Never have, never will. Don't drive such a large vehicle if you can't park normally safely. If you can't back out safely, try parking further away as walking a little extra never hurts.
Nobody is saying they are incapable of parking "normally safely" (I assume you mean head-in?)
Just that those of us who drive large vehicles or vehicles without excellent rear visibility (delivery vans, work vehicles, pickups with toppers etc) it is actually easier and safer to back in, then pull out forwards instead of as the OP says, into a "more dynamic environment".
As to people who have parking difficulties in general yet feel the must be as close as humanly possible to wherever they need to go in order to avoid walking a few extra feet....well that's a whole 'nother thread and a pet peeve of mine!
Nobody is saying they are incapable of parking "normally safely" (I assume you mean head-in?)
Just that those of us who drive large vehicles or vehicles without excellent rear visibility (delivery vans, work vehicles, pickups with toppers etc) it is actually easier and safer to back in, then pull out forwards instead of as the OP says, into a "more dynamic environment".
As to people who have parking difficulties in general yet feel the must be as close as humanly possible to wherever they need to go in order to avoid walking a few extra feet....well that's a whole 'nother thread and a pet peeve of mine!
There are plenty of aftermarket side and rear view mirrors to improve visbility.
Also, this "It takes 2 extra second" is bull. Every time I've been stuck behind someone who back into a space, it takes a good 15 seconds minimum. Those with massive trucks constantly back into the front of parked vehicles. I've had this happen to me twice. It happens just as much as people backing normally and striking the rear bumper of a parked vehicle.
This "its safer" talk is wrong. Its safer for you, not generally for everyone. If you think its safer, you aren't good at backing out. I'm not a good parallel parker. I avoid it as much as I can.
I work in auto insurance. I see all kinds of stupid accidents and it doesn't make the slightest difference.
I back in if I feel confident doing so. Otherwise, I just find a pull in spot.
What annoys me with parking are people who insist on waiting for someone to get in their car and pull out. If there is room to go around, then fine I don't care that someone is lazy. When you can not go around due to space, or the person is sitting in the middle lane, I get irked. The other irk would be people who do this, and there is an open spot a few cars down.
Pulling in.........never backing in...........if there is space in front of me, I would go forward easily, and get out that way, always watching for people, pets, and other cars. I never back my car, If I can help it. The reason:
My best friend killed one of his children backing her car, and another friend killed her dog.......
You need safer driving friends. Yes it is hard to see behind your car when it is something that small, but being attentive helps as well as knowing where your pets and kids are.
There are plenty of aftermarket side and rear view mirrors to improve visbility.
Also, this "It takes 2 extra second" is bull. Every time I've been stuck behind someone who back into a space, it takes a good 15 seconds minimum. Those with massive trucks constantly back into the front of parked vehicles. I've had this happen to me twice. It happens just as much as people backing normally and striking the rear bumper of a parked vehicle.
This "its safer" talk is wrong. Its safer for you, not generally for everyone. If you think its safer, you aren't good at backing out. I'm not a good parallel parker. I avoid it as much as I can.
I work in auto insurance. I see all kinds of stupid accidents and it doesn't make the slightest difference.
There are indeed. But gizmos will never replace good driving ability. I worry about sharing the road with people who need gizmos, or who cannot parallel park...
I never said anything about "two extra seconds"; I don't even know what that refers to. In all my years of driving I have ever had a "massive truck" back into me, nor have I, in my years of driving "massive trucks" backed into anyone else. Of COURSE it is safer to pull out head-first into a busy parking lot. What on earth were you doing that you've managed to get backed into twice in relatively few years?
I was backed into by a Ford Escort once, though. Only time anyone has ever backed into me, actually.
I'm good at backing in, backing out, parallel parking (I can parallel park a semi because I used to drive one) and have driven for almost four accident-free decades on three continents, including the one where they drive on the left, using opposite hands to shift. I think my experience driving trumps yours as "someone who works in insurance." I am old enough to be your mother, if not your grandmother, and I have well over a million miles of safe driving under my belt.
That's fine. I had a company vehicle for a few years. I drove 50k in one year. I may not have driven as many miles as you but I've driven much more than most and I know the rules of the road WAY more than most.
Here's what I think are good tips:
- Don't park at the end of parking aisles, more likely to get scraped
- Don't park in the main aisle (where the entrance is). Much more foot and vehicle traffic.
- Don't park near the shopping cart areas (big duh right?) Well, some insurance companies consider shopping carts collision losses so you probably have a higher collision than comp deductible.
- Avoid EVERYONE at Lowe's / Home Depot / Furniture / places where people loan their vehicle with large items. The junker the vehicle, the more likely they don't have insurance.
- If you have to park in a crappy spot, take a photo of the vehicle license plate next to you if you get that bad feeling. Paranoid but it will save your deductible if you have the right coverage.
- Avoid tow trucks at all cost. Those people don't give a damn about your car and will deny any damage. Same thing applies for valet drivers.
80/20. Back in normally, long bed truck. About the only time I don't is when I go to Costco/Sams Club.
And for those who get their undies in a bunch, get over it.
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Safety For Me is:
I think my experience driving trumps yours as "someone who works in insurance." I am old enough to be your mother, if not your grandmother, and I have well over a million miles of safe driving under my belt.
