Reversing in to a drive - best way to make intentions clear
Discussion
There is a house I visit semi regularly with a sizeable drive which really doesn't have to have this problem. Unfortunately the owners are family and therefore have a few cars and more importantly are somewhat foolish with that what they do with them and so regardless of the need to have this problem, it does.
They park in a way that to visit them there is basically room for two visitor cars although they would both have to park parallel (again, if they parked in an even vaguely sane way you could drive into the property and turn around and there'd still be room but gahhhhhhhh aghhhhh breathe) and so basically there isn't a difference between one or two visitor cars here.
Essentially the question then is whether to reverse in or to drive in forwards and reverse outwards. The inhabitants do the latter but I find this fairly suicidal so reverse in. I am having difficulty though in making my intentions clear and understood and am starting to understand why they go in nose first.
The property lies in a national speed limit about 100 yards off a national speed limit roundabout and traffic volume is moderate and speed high. Whatever I do I seem to confuse people with my intent to drive in largely because of the stopping the car not long after the roundabout for no real apparent reason.
What's the best way to indicate what I'm doing? I've tried all the (to me) obvious stuff and in desperation my plan for next time is if there's no oncoming traffic but someone behind I shall do what lorries in this situation often do of flicking on the hazards, turning right about 30 degrees into the offside lane and then backing up but before I do that does this plan work and what else can be suggested?
For clarity there hasn't been any near miss or anything, but it's clear people aren't expecting it. I may even be being overly cautious and should be more assertive with my reversing.
They park in a way that to visit them there is basically room for two visitor cars although they would both have to park parallel (again, if they parked in an even vaguely sane way you could drive into the property and turn around and there'd still be room but gahhhhhhhh aghhhhh breathe) and so basically there isn't a difference between one or two visitor cars here.
Essentially the question then is whether to reverse in or to drive in forwards and reverse outwards. The inhabitants do the latter but I find this fairly suicidal so reverse in. I am having difficulty though in making my intentions clear and understood and am starting to understand why they go in nose first.
The property lies in a national speed limit about 100 yards off a national speed limit roundabout and traffic volume is moderate and speed high. Whatever I do I seem to confuse people with my intent to drive in largely because of the stopping the car not long after the roundabout for no real apparent reason.
What's the best way to indicate what I'm doing? I've tried all the (to me) obvious stuff and in desperation my plan for next time is if there's no oncoming traffic but someone behind I shall do what lorries in this situation often do of flicking on the hazards, turning right about 30 degrees into the offside lane and then backing up but before I do that does this plan work and what else can be suggested?
For clarity there hasn't been any near miss or anything, but it's clear people aren't expecting it. I may even be being overly cautious and should be more assertive with my reversing.
The lorry technique is to indicate where you want to go (presuming drive is on the left so indicate left) then slow down. As you get to a car's length of the drive entrance put the hazards on and position ready for the reverse. Any driver paying attention should realise what you're doing so should leave a suitable gap. The trick is to manage the cars behind you so that they are going slow enough to not jump on the brakes. Much easier with a truck, the old Might Is Right plays well here, but I find myself automatically doing it in my car when required and it mostly works. There are some situations though where it's dangerous to do it with any vehicle due to closing speeds, visibility and the swing required so you have to make the choice based on your own judgement.
Or just get the owners to sort their parking out properly!
Or just get the owners to sort their parking out properly!
NRG1976 said:
As you approach the drive if there is a car behind you just pull up onto the kerb and once clear pull back out and complete your reverse manoeuvre?
This, kerb use or not depends, treat the maneuver the same as you would when parallel parking, though the other reason for this when PP is covering the space to prevent some ill mannered lout from driving into the space before you can reverse in.I always back into any and every space whenever possible, if the road is really busy and might be again when you eventually leave just nip out mid visit during a quiet spell and turn the car around.
The drama some people make when departing because they insist on driving into spaces is only matched by the drama getting in was in the first place, the performance of too many in parking bays is frustrating when an easy reverse in drive out would have been completed in quarter the time.
Many private workplace parking areas now encourage/insist on reverse parking for obvious safety implications.
Live on a busy road so backing out of the drive is a bit risky, although people do it, so I always reverse in. My neighbours used to park on the edge of my drive so had to stop next to the car and reverse in. I would put my hazard lights on, slow the vehicle well before the stop and hand signal. People sometimes still pulled up right up to the bumper, often flashing their lights and honking their horns, sometimes shouting and gesturing. Eventually put an electronic sign in the car that I would switch on as I came up to the drive, that advised the car behind I was about to reverse. 95% of the time that worked.
One of my neighbours now parks his Land Rover on the verge, which allows me to pull up to the kerb.
One of my neighbours now parks his Land Rover on the verge, which allows me to pull up to the kerb.
I have a similar issue, I try to avoid indicating when I turn onto my road, so if a car follows me my subsequent indication that I'm stopping is a lot clearer. If I indicate to turn off the road, then my indication to stop is just some idiot leaving their indicator on too long.
I then pull onto the kerb and wait for the road to be clear to reverse on to the drive. I often have my wife's relatives park in front of the house, which then makes reversing onto the drive too dangerous, so I drive on forwards then and tell them off. They could park the other side of the drive, but lazy. To be honest, half the time they park blocking my access to the drive as well, but there's only so much you can say.
I then pull onto the kerb and wait for the road to be clear to reverse on to the drive. I often have my wife's relatives park in front of the house, which then makes reversing onto the drive too dangerous, so I drive on forwards then and tell them off. They could park the other side of the drive, but lazy. To be honest, half the time they park blocking my access to the drive as well, but there's only so much you can say.
Definitely reversing into the drive is the correct way, driving in and therefore having to reverse onto a main road, whilst not illegal, is much more dangerous, have you tried having a word with the owners and getting them to park with more consideration to others? Looks like it would make their lives easier too.
My advice would be to use your speed to indicate your intentions as much as your indicators, whilst anyone with an once of driving ability will realise what you are trying to do (as in the HGV example above) we have to cater for the fact that our roads are full of numpties with little to no understanding of how to drive safely, you have to use every available resource to make it safe for you and them, and be fully prepared for their horn use and fist waving as they think you're stopping for no reason!
My advice would be to use your speed to indicate your intentions as much as your indicators, whilst anyone with an once of driving ability will realise what you are trying to do (as in the HGV example above) we have to cater for the fact that our roads are full of numpties with little to no understanding of how to drive safely, you have to use every available resource to make it safe for you and them, and be fully prepared for their horn use and fist waving as they think you're stopping for no reason!
henrycrun said:
After pulling up, engage reverse even if you can't go back, just to show the rear reversing light.
Any intelligent motorist should understand your intention.
Doesn’t always work for parking bays, people are too damn close to react, or they think you are going forward to park on the other side. Any intelligent motorist should understand your intention.
giantdefy said:
henrycrun said:
Any intelligent motorist should understand your intention.
Few and far between now a daysPica-Pica said:
henrycrun said:
After pulling up, engage reverse even if you can't go back, just to show the rear reversing light.
Any intelligent motorist should understand your intention.
Doesn’t always work for parking bays, people are too damn close to react, or they think you are going forward to park on the other side. Any intelligent motorist should understand your intention.
7mike said:
Pica-Pica said:
henrycrun said:
After pulling up, engage reverse even if you can't go back, just to show the rear reversing light.
Any intelligent motorist should understand your intention.
Doesn’t always work for parking bays, people are too damn close to react, or they think you are going forward to park on the other side. Any intelligent motorist should understand your intention.
Either that or they are using auto park.
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