r/NoStupidQuestions • u/ShortieFat • 51m ago
Have younger drivers become more skillful? Backing into parking slots
A lot of old farts like myself like to bag on younger people. Here's a turnaround: I've noticed way more of them backing up into parking slots, which is more difficult than pulling head first into one. It sets you up for easy and safe exit too.
It's amazing to see more head-out parked cars in parking lots than in olden times. And SUVs (!) with all of their blind spots and size-related limited space issues.
Are driver's training programs now teaching more back-up skills and techniques than before? The only thing driving tests used to require was going in reverse in a straight line in a parking lot. However, I still see a lot of people struggle with parallel parking between two other parked cars.
Maybe the world is getting better and younger people are smarter.
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u/Unfair_Awareness7502 48m ago
Backing in is easier than pulling forwards in, especially with large vehicles in tight spots. The front wheels are the ones to steer, so they have to swing wide. There is a lot more room to swing wide out in the aisle than in the parking spot.
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u/Silken_Touchs 39m ago
Backing in also gives you a better view when leaving the parking spot. It can be much easier and safer when the space is tight.
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u/PCLoadPLA 31m ago
This is why forklifts always have the rear wheels the ones that steer. They basically spend their whole lives "parking" pallets into narrow slots from an aisle.
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u/blarghy0 48m ago
Backing into a parking spot was never particularly difficult, but back up cameras make it much easier nowadays. As you note, parallel parking is the bigger test of skill.
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u/Emergency-Machine-55 32m ago
My car's sideview mirrors automatically tilt downward when in reverse. This makes parallel parking easier, especially when combined with the backup camera.
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u/deltatux 47m ago
Newer cars have backup cameras & sensors by law so if you drive a newer car, you're going to have them regardless. Plus, in Ontario, Canada, you're tested on being able to parallel park, which requires you to be able to reverse into a spot as well.
My vehicle doesn't have those tech but I've always preferred to back in as I find backing in and head out is easier than head in and then back out when parking be it on my driveway (as I have a sidewalk) or in a parking lot.
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u/tingle92 47m ago
When I was in highschool, we had to back in so it was easier for everyone to leave. I graduated in 2010.
I drive a Silverado now, it's actually easier to back in than it is to pull straight in because of how long it is.
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u/WhaleBird1776 46m ago
It’s way easier to back into a parking space imo, even without a backup camera.
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u/sleepneeded127 45m ago
In the US any personal vehicles made after mid 2018 must have a backup camera. Most those cameras have guidance lines that show where the vehicle is going. So it's just easier.
Now car culture is in a resurgence with younger people. So it is possible that is also a cause for the improvement.
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u/GoodResident2000 41m ago
I find backing in easier than backing out
People will see you go to back in and wait a second
People will not wait a second while you’re backing out, if anything they floor it to get past so they don’t have to wait
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u/WiseBelt8935 47m ago
You should always reverse into a spot. If you can’t reverse in, what makes you think you can reverse out? You get the hard bit done first, and when you leave, you have a lot more visibility and the car turns better going in.
A friend showed me a good method: drive towards the bay, then turn away so you’re about 45° to it. Then you can clearly see the line and reverse right in.
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u/MortimerDongle 41m ago
It's often a lot harder to load stuff into the back of your car if you backed into the spot.
And I'm not sure I agree on visibility, or at least it's situational. I drive a smaller car, if I'm parked between two larger cars I often have better visibility of the driving lane with the backup camera (my car doesn't have a front camera, though of course some cars do).
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u/WiseBelt8935 35m ago
I’m driving a car built by Japan for India during the Great Recession. My car doesn’t just not have a camera; it doesn’t even have a rev counter. Yet somehow, it made it to the UK.
You will always have better visibility simply by virtue of being at the front, so you can see a full 180° without needing mirrors.
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u/MortimerDongle 27m ago
I cannot see a full 180 past most other cars, at least not without pulling forward, whereas my backup camera (being far closer to the edge of the car) mostly can.
You will always have better visibility simply by virtue of being at the front
You're not actually at the front, though, in most cars the driver's head is pretty close to the center of the car lengthwise.
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u/Rosea_Thorn 48m ago
GenZ myself. Backup cameras are a game changer.
Don't get me wrong, I backed up every now and then into spots but it feels needlessly more risky sometimes. Now, this year, I have my first car with a backup camera and I back into spots almost every day
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u/Creamy_Breve 45m ago
No, they barely get much training before they're turned out on the rest of us, but they do teach back in parking. It's not hard to do, and in fact, it's easier, especially if you drive a truck.
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u/MoneyyAmbitious 45m ago
New-ish driver here, it helps A LOT as we have backup cameras. I’ve been driving for 4 years, got my drivers licence 3 years ago, I’ve never backed up into parking lots with my dad’s car as it doesn’t have a backup camera nor sensors
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u/MortimerDongle 45m ago
My car will back itself into a parking spot.
I don't actually use that feature because I don't like backing into spots and even when I do it's faster to do it myself, but it exists.
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u/ThingFuture9079 43m ago
Newer cars have backup cameras with guidelines so it's easier to back straight into the spot since you don't have to rely solely on looking over the shoulder or using mirrors.
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u/ColdHardPocketChange 43m ago
Backup cameras are a game changer, especially if you have transferrable skills from video game coordination. Literally put the lines to the clear path by turning the wheel. It's pretty dang easy these days.
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u/T_Rex1357 42m ago
I just like being able to pull right out of a spot without worrying if someone's gonna smash into the backside. Downside is for where I live people are know for being AH drivers so I'm lucky if they leave me space to back in without creeping up to my sidedoors.
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u/Diligent_Pay_4626 42m ago
Backup cameras plus if I can help it I’d much prefer parking in a position where I can just throw it in drive and go when I’m ready to leave
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u/whats1more7 42m ago
My SUV has a camera that shows a top-down view as well as a view in the direction I’m going. The mirrors also adjust for backing up automatically. So it’s a lot easier to back up now.
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u/No-Carry4971 41m ago
Why would anybody back into a parking space? Every time I see someone screwing up traffic by passing a space and then slowly backing in it makes me crazy. Are they incapable of backing out of a space?
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u/The_Real_Chippa 28m ago
A) It is safer to back in, and pull out forwards, because you can see the traffic around you while doing both, while you can’t see the traffic as well if you back out. And B), it is easier to back in than pull in.
Why are you upset about people parking in parking lots? You should probably anticipate that.
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u/No-Carry4971 16m ago
Because they pass a spot and you are following them, and the put it in reverse and start backing right at you for absolutely no reason.
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u/IcyHotTodoroki1 24m ago
When I was a young whipper shnapper I was backing my cars into spots, no back up camera, no sensors, in a manual transmission, not even turning my head. Just rear view mirror, and side view. I still back cars in because I prefer ease of exit.
I am in the minority here but if parallel parking and common sense were required to get a license, 95% of the people in this country would not be allowed to drive. I still stand by that it should still be a requirement, but that would cripple the auto industry.
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u/jceyes 50m ago
Well they have backup cameras now