Back-In Parking

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Don

Well-known member
Joined
May 10, 2012
Messages
3,108
Location
Biloxi MS
JoeS said:
Which brings up an interesting point: many parking garages prohibit backing into a parking spot (because of exhaust marks on the walls), even though it is the safer way of parking.
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An age old debate, to be sure - Many municipalities prohibit back in parking even in places where there is no wall to be soiled because they consider it less safe - It is banned in tons of places with no walls, so that can't be the primary reason

When you back out, you have all sorts of room while backing in, you're trying to center the car in a space only 3 or 4 feet wider than the car. Backing in takes longer and many who use that method drive forward so fast when leaving that accident statistics show about the same number of accidents as those who are backing out and they are moving much slower - Also, the back-up lights warn other motorists that someone is about to leave the space and you don't get that heads up when someone pulls out suddenly going forward

About mid-way through my 20 year USAF career, the government banned back in parking anywhere and everywhere. Their accident statistics were very clear that it was the more dangerous option. Partly because of the habit that ban created I suppose, I've always made it a point to never back in, though I do use the 'drive through' option wherever possible so I can drive forward leaving without ever having to back up, coming or going ;-)

Don
 
" though I do use the 'drive through' option wherever possible so I can drive forward leaving without ever having to back up, coming or going ;-)"

Ahhh, but then, technically, you ARE backed in :lol:
 
The real reason is that you're obviously a criminal committing robbery if you need to make sure you can get away as fast as you can. Either that, or a criminal trying to make yourself harder to keep track of in places where you only have a license plate in the rear, so the cops driving by can't keep an eye for license plates. In any case you must be a public enemy and probably a communist too. ;)
 
Thought I'd move our recent discussion into its own Topic, into the Off Topic forum.

To park going in Forwards, or to park going in Backwards, that is the question…

We do it both ways, with my wife going in forwards, and me backing up. Note that one of the Sparrows next to the i-MiEV is also backed-in, but that has more to do with it's single-door placement on its right side.

TwoMitsGarage.jpg


Ah, Don, two-and-a-half years later, we continue to agree to disagree. The discussion starts with the placement of our charging port and drifts into a discussion of how we park. For those of you who are new to this forum, here's one of the previous discussions which started out as to why I like our i-MiEV's charging port location:

http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2652#p2652

The reasons haven't changed, but the Internet is full of supporting arguments for each side. Adding fuel to the fire and using the Safety argument, my current favorite is this UPS post:

http://blog.ups.com/2013/03/01/what-backing-up-has-to-do-with-our-corporate-safety-culture/

Quote: "...it’s safer to back into the controlled environment of an empty parking space than it is to back out into the less controlled environment of a parking lot."

Flamesuit on. :)
 
Yes, it's recommended to back in, because it is considered to be safer. Also, at least here in Finland, the one leaving a parking spot is responsible in a crash, so you're better off if you back in and drive forward when leaving. Generally I don't back in, though, for no particular reason, except maybe procrastination... On the DCQC slots you need to back-in with the C-Zero, of course, unless you have free space next to the post so you can drive through a little. Couple of unorthodox parkings by your's truly...

reach.jpg

drivethru.jpg

why-wait.jpg
 
JoeS said:
Quote: "...it’s safer to back into the controlled environment of an empty parking space than it is to back out into the less controlled environment of a parking lot."

Flamesuit on. :)
Click to expand...

This is the first time I have ever heard of anywhere that has laws regarding what direction people can park in - especially when the law prevents the (in my opinion) safer way of parking - backing in every time for me if I can (or a drive through).
 
I never used to back in to park, but since I got the i-Miev that has changed! Now I almost always back in to my driveway and to public charging spots. Why? Because the charging port on this car is toward the rear so it reaches much easier if I back in. I've quickly gotten used to it, and now it doesn't really matter to me one way or the other.
 
jray3 said:
I'm a big fan of reverse angle parking. Mabe just to rub LEAFs the wrong way!
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+1 Having experienced this in Australia, this technique provides an even-more significant safety measure when pulling out into traffic, even better than when backed in perpendicularly to the curb. Anyone who can't back into a spot like this should not be driving!
 
I definitely think Back-in parking is safer. You're backing into a pretty controlled environment instead of the 'wild' with cross-traffic, pedestrians, and others backing out of spaces. It is much easier to see what's around you and react to others. Also, the whole parking process is faster.

There's a reason you're not allowed to back out onto a main road ;) .
 
Well, I was gobsmacked! As I drove over to an EV show-and-let-test-drive event on Sunday (gave lots of test drives in the i-MiEV) I went through a portion of Stanford University property and there they had created a brand-new parking area for the many visitors hiking their foothills. Pictures say it all -

BackInParking.jpg

BackInParkingSign.jpg


Needless to say, that made my day. :D

Green paths are coming into vogue as bicycle paths in heavy-traffic areas, but this is the first time I've seen broken green - makes sense. Note how great the visibility is for drivers pulling out!
 
That certainly looks easier/safer than this:

http://goo.gl/maps/dbJTF
(Open street view and pan left)

Have to be careful when driving through here. Couldn't imagine trying to leave from a parking spot.
 
I never used to back-in, but I've done it a few times with the i-MiEV, mostly to charge. (The other time was to load cargo in the garage.) I still don't like it, and I only back in when I find that the cable's too short after going nose-in.

I remember wondering why the Leaf had its charge port in the front, but now it makes perfect sense. With gas cars, you want the port on the side, because you queue up to fill up, and it's faster if you never have to reverse -- the queue just flows in one side and out the other. But with EVs, you have to charge for a relatively long time, even on DCQC (compared to gas); and that implies an arrangement less like a queue, and more like a parking lot. And in most parking lots, most of the spaces only have room for a charger at the front end. So basically, the Leaf got it right, and all the cars that just replaced gas ports with electrical ports in the same location got it wrong.
 
PV1 said:
Also, the whole parking process is faster [backing in].
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Huh? I'm always having to wait in parking lots for backers to get their act together, as they back in, adjust, come out, adjust, and back in again. Nose-in parkers mostly just park. They may have to wait longer to safely pull out, but they do so on their own time, as it were -- not blocking traffic in the interim.
 
Well, if you're able to park, it's faster.

I remember one morning driving to school, I was later than normal. I had to wait 5 minutes for someone to back their truck into a spot because he couldn't line it up. Once he finally parked, I rolled up in the Cavalier, stabbed it in reverse, and backed right into my spot without missing a beat. I had people totally in shock and a few even asked me how I did it. Umm, skill and a mirror? :lol:

I get it though, some people have the touch, some don't. I still can't get used to how narrow the i-MiEV is when parallel parking to a right-hand curb, but I can tell with good accuracy where the tires track when going down the road.
 
The funny thing about the i-MiEV and it's siblings is that you can be pretty badly misaligned in the spot and still have no problem staying well within the lines. ;)
 
wmcbrine said:
...And in most parking lots, most of the spaces only have room for a charger at the front end. So basically, the Leaf got it right, and all the cars that just replaced gas ports with electrical ports in the same location got it wrong.
Click to expand...
Respectfully, but emphatically, have to disagree.

1) Every Leaf owner I know has to drag at least a portion of their cable on the ground in order to plug in their car, and they also have a trip hazard as they need to get by the front of their car and step over the cord after they've closed the garage door. I only need to unwind 3' and it never touches the ground and since I park right up against the right wall I never walk that way, anyway.
2) In public charging stations it takes little effort or time to back up to the charging station with the EVSE nozzle pull out no longer than the Leaf's; furthermore, it is safer pulling back out. Probably overall less time, as people backing out do so into an unknown environment and thus mostly do it slowly and cautiously.

Just like backing a trailer, backing up and maneuvering the car using mirrors is a skill worth learning. Proper mirror setting is a different discussion...

That said, I must admit that the i-MiEV's backup camera can sure spoil a person :?
 

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