To me, it seems objectively easier to pull into a parking space forward and then back out of the space when you are ready to leave. You don’t have to line up with the lines while driving backwards, and it’s easier to keep from hitting other cars as well. So why back in? To me, the only advantage I can think of is that you can get out quicker, technically.

Edit: I do not need driving instruction, just wondered why. The reasoning.

  • merc@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    Obviously reversing is harder, and adding the tag “if you’re familiar with the skill” doesn’t change anything. I added “if you’re familiar with landing a plane” to make that point.

    • STUPIDVIPGUY
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      1 year ago

      Reversing literally isn’t harder than driving forward.

      Landing a plane is way harder than taking off. Your analogy is irrelevant and incorrect

      • merc@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Reversing literally isn’t harder than driving forward.

        Of course it is. Don’t be dense. Going forward there’s a huge windshield for you to look through with both eyes so your binocular vision gives you full depth perception. You’re moving in the direction you’re facing. The wheels that can’t be steered follow the wheels that can so you don’t need to think about them because they’ll always just follow.

        Compare that with reversing where you’re facing forward but moving backward. You can only get a small, incomplete picture of where you’re heading using either small mirrors or a low-resolution camera. You can try to rotate in your seat if you have a useful back window, but even if you do it’s far away and so most of your view to the rear is going to be blocked by the car’s interior. In addition, you’re pushing the non-steered wheels with wheels that are steered, so that small movements of the steered wheels are amplified, so you have to be much more careful about where you’re pushing them.

        There’s no question that driving backwards is harder than driving forwards.

        • STUPIDVIPGUY
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          1 year ago

          True at higher speeds. You’re right about these points. But at slow speeds in a parking lot these have a negligible difference and results in parking forward or backwards being similar in difficulty. Especially if you’re not driving an oversized vehicle with poor visibility. So I will amend my statement in that way.

          • merc@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            At low speeds these are all still issues that mean going backwards is harder than going forwards. They may be “similar” in difficulty, but going backwards is always going to be significantly harder.