Since as long as I can remember, I've always backed into parking spots. My driveway too. It isn't a vanity thing, as in "look at how great a driver I am! I can back into a small spot." For me it is a clear safety issue. But I think I must be in a minority. My office overlooks a neighbouring parking lot and a clear majority of people drive in and back out. The problem that creates is that the driver must peer through a forest of headrests and seatbelts and into their biggest blind spots while moving into an area where traffic is present. On the other hand, by backing in I'm able to pull up, assess the spot (is it big enough, is there a shopping cart in it) and then back in. When I come to leave I'm pulling into traffic with the only blind spots being any large vehicles beside me.
A couple of weeks ago a person wrote into a column in the Globe and Mail that he wondered why some people back into parking spots, because, in his opinion, having cars backing into traffic is much safer for any pedestrians in the parking lot. His thinking was that the pedestrian sees the backup lights and can take evasive action. (This must be opposed to seeing the DRLs and actually making eye contact with the driver...) Then today at lunch I was at a store and started to pull out of the parking spot. I was fairly far along when the Jeep Grand Cherokee that was driven in in the spot directly across from me pops it in reverse and comes back at me. I quickly put my car in reverse and backed up again to avoid an accident. But this guy gives me a look like I was clearly in the wrong.
So am I wrong in thinking that it is a safety issue? If it is, is backing into traffic really safer? Do any jurisdictions mandate one kind of parking over another?
Mike
