April 9, 2008.
California Office of Traffic Safety Summit
San Francisco, CA.
May 19, 2009
University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies
Bloomington, MN
June 23, 2009
Driving Assessment 2009
Big Sky, Montana
June 26, 2009
PRI World Congress
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
June 27, 2009
Day of Architecture
Utrecht, The Netherlands
July 13, 2009
Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals (ATSIP)
Phoenix, AZ.
August 12-14
Texas Department of Transportation “Save a Life Summit”
San Antonio, Texas
September 2, 2009
Governors Highway Safety Association Annual Meeting
Savannah, Georgia
September 11, 2009
Oregon Transportation Summit
Portland, Oregon
October 8
Honda R&D Americas
Raymond, Ohio
October 10-11
INFORMS Roundtable
San Diego, CA
October 21, 2009
California State University-San Bernardino, Leonard Transportation Center
San Bernardino, CA
November 5
Southern New England Planning Association Planning Conference
Uncasville, Connecticut
January 6
Texas Transportation Forum
Austin, TX
January 19
Yale University
(with Donald Shoup; details to come)
Monday, February 22
Yale University School of Architecture
Eero Saarinen Lecture
Friday, March 19
University of Delaware
Delaware Center for Transportation
April 5-7
University of Utah
Salt Lake City
McMurrin Lectureship
April 19
International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (Organization Management Workshop)
Austin, Texas
Monday, April 26
Edmonton Traffic Safety Conference
Edmonton, Canada
Monday, June 7
Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Wednesday, July 6
Fondo de Prevención Vial
Bogotá, Colombia
Tuesday, August 31
Royal Automobile Club
Perth, Australia
Wednesday, September 1
Australasian Road Safety Conference
Canberra, Australia
Wednesday, September 22
Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s
Traffic Incident Management Enhancement Program
Statewide Conference
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Wednesday, October 20
Rutgers University
Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation
Piscataway, NJ
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre
Injury Prevention Forum
Toronto
Monday, May 2
Idaho Public Driver Education Conference
Boise, Idaho
Tuesday, June 2, 2011
California Association of Cities
Costa Mesa, California
Sunday, August 21, 2011
American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Attitudes: Iniciativa Social de Audi
Madrid, Spain
April 16, 2012
Institute for Sensible Transport Seminar
Gardens Theatre, QUT
Brisbane, Australia
April 17, 2012
Institute for Sensible Transport Seminar
Centennial Plaza, Sydney
Sydney, Australia
April 19, 2012
Institute for Sensible Transport Seminar
Melbourne Town Hall
Melbourne, Australia
January 30, 2013
University of Minnesota City Engineers Association Meeting
Minneapolis, MN
January 31, 2013
Metropolis and Mobile Life
School of Architecture, University of Toronto
February 22, 2013
ISL Engineering
Edmonton, Canada
March 1, 2013
Australian Road Summit
Melbourne, Australia
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January 20th, 2011 at 6:36 am
Perhaps it is for the same reason that we back in when we parallel park. In tight spots I personally find vehicles to be more maneuverable in reverse – maybe due to the relative positions of the wheels and the chassis in the front and back.
January 20th, 2011 at 6:42 am
I think it has less to do with the time that it takes to pull in and out, than it does with things like visibility. It’s much harder to see cars and (more importantly) people through the back window, particularly when you’ve got cars to either side of you. I’d like to think I’ve got some expertise in the matter, given that I was actually hit by a guy in a giant SUV that “didn’t see me” when he was backing out of a spot. Luckily, I was actually in my (much smaller) car at the time, so I just ended up with a dented door panel rather than a broken pelvis.
January 20th, 2011 at 6:42 am
If you’re backing in, you know where the empty space is and that it’s going to remain empty. If you’re backing out, you’re backing into a space that other people are potentially using to drive through.
If the parking spaces are beside and perpendicular to a road rather than in a car park, then (in the UK anyway) it would technically be illegal to reverse out of the space on to the road. (Obviously, most drivers seem entirely unconcerned with rules like these).
January 20th, 2011 at 6:45 am
I think the perceived benefit comes when leaving the space. Backing out of a space can be pretty nerve wracking, particularly if there are larger SUVs or the like on either side of you obstructing your view. Pulling out forward you’ll generally hit the point where you can see what’s coming before too much of your car is hanging out into the road.
I’ve never backed in myself, but I have pulled through two open spaces for the same result, and there is a difference in the visibility and stress level when leaving.
January 20th, 2011 at 7:26 am
Planning ahead. If parking lot is quiet when I arrive, I back in. Then on departure, if parking lot is also quiet, no overall time saved; but if it’s busy, a straight-out can save everyone (me, other drivers) time and risk.
January 20th, 2011 at 7:34 am
I suspect some people just see it as a challenge and do it for practice. The visibility argument is a good one.
I think reversing into a spot is usually more time-consuming than reversing out of a spot, which is why I don’t do it. It could be faster in a few cases, though. It’s also a completely logical move for the driver who accidentally drove past a spot.
I agree with Josh about pulling through. It improves visibility and probably saves a little fuel. Hypermilers like to do that — even better if the spot is on a downward slope, allowing the car to glide out of the spot with gravity alone (provided that the car’s steering still works, of course!)
January 20th, 2011 at 7:46 am
I always back in if the parking lot is quiet because my car is small and easy to back into parking spaces and it’s much less stressful to pull out later when the parking lot is busy when work gets out. (I always do it at work) In store lots I always look for a pull through spot as they are often not quiet enough and people get impatient waiting 5 seconds. I find backing out of a parking spot very stressful as my car isn’t the easiest to see out the back of, but I know the dimensions well enough that I can back into a spot with all the windows entirely fogged up. (Which in the winter they almost always are)
January 20th, 2011 at 7:50 am
I normally park forward, but there are several cases I can think of in which I back into spots. (1) some spots are easier to back in to. Think of the last spot in a row of spaces that ends in a wall, for example, where the wall makes it hard to “swing past” the space sufficiently as you need to do when parking forward. (2) sometimes I am already too close to a space before I see it, such that I would have to back up just to get enough room to swing out and park forward, so I just keep going forward a bit and then back in, instead. (3) tight spaces are easier to back into, as your front wheels do the steering. This is similar to the reason why you back in when parallel parking, and one of the reasons why many people back in in Japan and Europe. (4) visibility has been mentioned and is a good reason, though to be honest I don’t usually decide to back in for this reason alone.
January 20th, 2011 at 7:51 am
My dad tends to back in, especially when driving my mom. Mom’s got a number of physical disabilities at this point, and tends to refuse to use handicapped parking tags. If he backs in, it’s easier to set things up so she has space to get out comfortably, and he can walk over to help her more easily.
January 20th, 2011 at 7:52 am
Must be somewhat regional. I don’t see that at all in New England. Maybe more rare where parking spaces are often contested? If I were to pull beyond the space I want (in order to back in), the guy behind me would figure I hadn’t seen it and race in. We’re jerks like that in Lil’ Rhody.
January 20th, 2011 at 8:08 am
Backing into a space I’m pretty confident that I’m not going to be backing into anything. Backing out is a much dicier proposition. I don’t think most drivers in the south believe that parking lots have speed limits. In fact, they are rarely policed (if ever), and often have no posted limits.
January 20th, 2011 at 8:31 am
As others have pointed out, it is definitely a safety/visibility issue and is part of the ‘defensive driving’ package of collision avoidance.
January 20th, 2011 at 8:45 am
I back-in simply because it’s easier to get out: my sight lines are vastly improved; I can see other cars, bikes, and pedestrians much better. It’s a similar reason to why back-in angle parking is finally starting to be a bit more widely accepted.
There’s also a degree of being able to move out quickly. If I’m arriving and know I’m on schedule, I have opportunity to spend a few seconds backing in. Should I have need of a quick departure for whatever reason, I know I can be on my way sooner than everyone else. But this is a pretty secondary reason.
…Or a third reason: I started it back when I first started driving. In high school, it was cool to back-in; and it’s an action I’ve never really stopped doing despite now being at an age where “cool” is pretty irrelevant.
January 20th, 2011 at 8:49 am
There’s two things to this –
1) Backing into a spot pretty much assures that no one is going to suddenly be in the way where you can’t see them. Backing into the aisle, there’s a pretty good chance a ped or another car will inch up closely and you have to keep looking in all directions.
2) Backing into the spot only works for competent drivers since you have to fit between 2 cars and not scrape them while getting in the spot. Since many people are pretty awful at parking, they’d rather do the backing into the open area, where there’s less chance of hitting a parked car.
I do back into spots most of the time.
January 20th, 2011 at 9:00 am
Not so much in parking lots, but my husband often backs into our driveway, I think because of the visibility issue. I rarely do…because I’m honestly not that good at it, especially in my truck.
January 20th, 2011 at 9:16 am
I back into my parking spot at home because I have more visibility while parking than I do when pulling out, so I try to making pulling out easier.
A related question: why do some parking lots require “head-in” parking only?
January 20th, 2011 at 9:17 am
Some companies (here in Calgary, AB) require backing in to parking spots when driving company vehicles.
January 20th, 2011 at 9:27 am
Definitely it is done for the visibility.
Think of it this way. When backing in, I have to drive past the slot, then back in. On my way past it, I can look in the slot to ensure it is clear. I have situational awareness, so it is pretty safe to back in. When I leave, I just have to drive out and that is safer than backing out.
If I don’t back in, when I leave I have to back out into what is basically unknown traffic.
Many workplaces I go to require their employees to back in when parking.
January 20th, 2011 at 9:28 am
I should add that at this time of year, many people in my city drive in, because they need to have the car’s nose near the power outlet to plug the block heater in!
January 20th, 2011 at 9:36 am
My workplace required employees to back in at industrial facilities (though not at the office headquarters); in the event of emergency evacuation, the lot’s shared aisles are not extra-congested by drivers backing out.
January 20th, 2011 at 10:25 am
Trucks/SUVs have a blind spot directly behind them (at the tailgate), at about toddler height and the height of low cars. If you back in to a parking spot (or your driveway), you can see cars & kids when you depart.
January 20th, 2011 at 10:28 am
Many of the people I see doing it are law enforcement, former law enforcement, or some other type of emergency response. I believe they’re taught to do it because it’s faster leaving.
January 20th, 2011 at 10:56 am
When you have to use starter cables you’ll be glad you backed in.
January 20th, 2011 at 10:58 am
Aside from the reasons already mentioned, another is that people often are in more of a rush leaving than arriving, especially for work. Take your time getting in, but want to get out as quickly as possible. Thus, although the overall time is likely the same, they value their “out” time more than their “in” time.
January 20th, 2011 at 11:05 am
No need to repeat what everyone says about visibility.
Backing in can save other people’s time besides yours. If you can see out the front you can proceed at a normal speed when the way is clear. People who can not properly see out the back tediously inch their way out. The maneuver takes much longer and others may be forced to wait.
Rhode Island drivers do seem exceptionally lazy and self centered. This is the only place I have ever seen cops park front in.
Nearby is a laundromat where if you back in, you can access your trunk under an overhanging roof. I am always amused to see that no matter how hard it is raining, almost no one figures this out.
I think if you can not parallel park or back into a driveway, you should not get a license.
I think you sometimes see “Head In parking only” because drivers are less likely to bump the wall or whatever that way.
January 20th, 2011 at 11:06 am
I agree with commenters above that backing into a spot removes the stress of having to back out into traffic. Noah is right that the military emphasizes it; “range parking” at firing ranges is always nose out. If you consider having to leave as a group convoy, it makes a lot more sense for every vehicle to be facing out, so that the preceding vehicle doesn’t get in your way as you are leaving the spot.
January 20th, 2011 at 11:48 am
For those of us with older vehicles–if one backs into a parking space, one does not have to back into a cloud of cold motor exhaust when starting out later. Older vehicles can be a bit smelly for the first few minutes while the choke is on.
Like many of the above posters, I also find it easier backing into a known clear space, and it’s safer on departure.
January 20th, 2011 at 11:58 am
It is the law here (Alberta) to back in. But ‘culturaly’ (if I can say that about parking habits, lol) we pull in forward and back out. Unless it is a pull though spot, then we pull through, generally.
It is a safety/visability issue, and I completely agree with everything that #3 Joe Dunckley said. I just don’t do it.
January 20th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
I’ve backed into my parking places for over three decades. During one of my first driving lessons from my mother, she said, “I can back into anything,” meaning that it’s easier to maneuver into a narrow parking slot if the steering wheels are moving the following end of the car rather than the end going “down the hole” first.
The first five or six folks each hit it (as did several others). Other things being equal, backing in gives me better visibility getting out (also greater safety), less time in departure (less likely to be hit by some twit racing through the lot), and easier (for me, at least) entry and exit regarding the slot.
A couple years after I started driving, I found myself driving a vehicle that had no inside mirror (the rear doors of that van had no windows, either). I had to get good at using side mirrors only for backing (I don’t think it had power steering, either, but it may have), and figured it made sense to practice using saw horses instead of other folks’ cars. I figure I’m probably a better tight-quarters driver for the experience than I might have been.
The new model for diagonal parking reverses the angle so that drivers are encouraged to back in rather than pull in and back out. Again, the reasoning is that it improves visibility for ALL users of the space. Of course, the last several places here in Louisville KY where diagonal parking slots were painted failed to be updated…
January 20th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
Brent:
I believe that public spaces sometimes require “head-in” parking because it simplifies the process of checking each car’s license plate for enforcement reasons, as in a time-limited lot. I would assume this is less prevalent in areas where cars are required to have a front plate as well as a rear one. I’ve seen the signs in both PA (which only requires a single plate) and NJ (adjacent to two single-plate states).
January 20th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
I go “head-in” at the grocery store because it’s easier to load the trunk.
I back in to spots at venues like theatres and sports stadiums where everyone will be leaving at the same time because there will be less delay for me and others on the departure.
January 20th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
I read a memoir in which the author said he always backs into parking spaces, a habit formed while serving in the military, where he was encouraged (ordered?) to do so so that he could leave as quickly as possible if need be.
January 20th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
An important reason still not mentioned is the steering of the car itself. It is easy to move the front sideways by turning the steering wheel to the extreme left or right and go a little forth or back. But to move the back of a car sideways you have to do much bigger moves with the whole car.
So, if you back into the spot — and, of course, know how to do that — you need less space for the maneuver and may put it more exactly where you want it to be. The steering is also the reason why it’s not possible to head into a longitudinal spot at the curb unless it’s pretty long.
BTW, another reason for the mentioned head-in only could be the dirt of the exhaust if you back in.
January 20th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
The last time I saw a “head in” sign was because there was an overhanging bulkhead at the end of the space, and SUVs and vans backing in would hit it. No doubt some genius did that, and that’s why they need the sign.
January 20th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
This question came up amongst a few of my friends here in the UK a few years ago, but the split was perceived to be along gender lines.
The general consensus seemed to be that reversing in was the better option – it’s easier to steer a vehicle when the turning wheels are not leading the car – this is why fork lifts and suchlike steer from the rear. The (sexist) men assumed that women didn’t do this because they weren’t confident in reversing. The (practical) women pointed out that it’s more useful to go in nose first because then the boot (trunk) is accessible for loading the shopping.
I reserve opinion on the matter, although I should point out that I typically reverse into spaces.
PS Is it sexist to think of men as being sexist?
January 20th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t US military personnel trained to back in for parking? That might explain the perceived higher rate in the South, which definitely has a high number of people who have been in the military.
January 20th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
Have to agree with the all visibility comments, and that would be the main reason I did it and also tight spaces. Although the boot loading is a good argument for nose in – especially in most UK spaces.
As others mention I look for the no reversing, drive through to the opposite aisle approach as a lazy option.
> where cars are required to have a front plate as well as a rear one.
!! you have places where you don’t have to have both plates?! (for cars that is, motorbikes obviously only have a rear plate)
One more thought for old cars – when the engine is cold (pulling out) it is better to have the easy (forward) move that is less likely to stall.
And another on the nose in signs – my University had a white walled building which University vehicles parked against. So to prevent marks from the exhaust soot they had to park nose in.
January 20th, 2011 at 2:23 pm
The giant oil field service company Schlumberger requires employees to back into parking spaces if it does not pose a danger while backing in.
They are extremely safety conscious, and believe that it is much safer backing in and driving out than the other way around.
I do not work for Schlumberger, but know many who do.
January 20th, 2011 at 11:58 pm
I assume that this is regarding parallel parking…in which case, that’s the proper form. You get closer to the curb and are more likely to get out of traffic on the first try that way.
January 20th, 2011 at 11:58 pm
Oklahoma doesn’t require front plates. Heck, Oklahoma doesn’t even issue them. I felt a little screwed considering I paid twice as much and got half as many plates as I did in Oregon…
January 21st, 2011 at 3:20 am
Backing in:
You can leave as soon as the coast is clear, instead of backing out, hesitating, getting blocked in by more cars, hesitating again. All of the uncertainty is removed when you have a clear view and can pull your car in front of others in one straight continuous line (instead of two) and leave.
Pulling in foward: if you are lazy, or are in a supreme hurry to get to your destination.
January 21st, 2011 at 7:09 am
LOL: Dutch Championship parallel parking (backwards) for women http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcDJA_N17fw
January 21st, 2011 at 7:23 am
I drive into a parking space, and back out usually, as i have found cars behind me often are unaware that i am pulling into a parking spot and if i pull past the spot (even while indicating), the car behind me drives right up to me, and then blocks the parking space.
At least when you are backing out of a parking space, it is obvious what you are doing.
January 21st, 2011 at 9:03 am
In response to Tom’s P.S. addition, I can’t help but wonder if that would be a perfect thing for okTrends to analyse.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:04 am
As an ex driving instructor I would say that Joe Dunckley has the correct answer.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:35 am
In Europe, next to buildings, there are sometimes signs prohibiting backing into parking spaces, as the exaust fumes might be thrown directly into windows on the ground floor. This, of course, applies only to on-street or local parking spaces, not to parking lots.
January 21st, 2011 at 3:23 pm
I agree with Joe Dunckley and Kim’s response: while parked, backing into the flow of traffic (with your view often blocked by other parked cars) is significantly more dangerous than transitioning (and holding up traffic) from the flow of traffic and backing into the parking spot. This way you’re more likely to be able to see traffic when you exit (especially pedestrians, bicyclists & small children/dogs) This is typical of standard “pull-in” angled street parking in the US, where it’s “creep & pray” that the oncoming traffic sees your taillights because you can’t see them.
A solution to this is back-in angled parking: which I would see as a training and conversion/public-adoption nightmare, but good solution to the problem.
January 21st, 2011 at 3:32 pm
I tended to back in when I commuted by car because it made it easier to get in and out of the car. This was based on my noticing that my co-workers tended to park slightly off-center to the right. This made a wider left-side walkway between my car (tail-in) and another’s (nose-in). Also, the garage at One Lombard in San Francisco seemed to be sized for compact cars instead of Cadillacs or Mercedes.
I also agree with the visibility and maneuverability aspects of backwards parking. It just seemed to work better. By the way, the nautical equivalent is “Med. moor”.
“Med Mooring Technique” (SailOnline.com article)
“Mastering the Med Moor” (SailNet.com article)
January 21st, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Backing in is planning for the future. And also a simple getaway.
January 22nd, 2011 at 6:51 pm
3 observations: 1) the larger the car, the more likely people are to back in. 2) The total time spent getting in an out of a spot is far longer with backing in–it’s very rare I see someone pull it off without having to make numerous adjustments or even multiple tries. 3) Personally I’ve seen those backing in hit more cars/things/people that those backing out–the poor visibility that SUVs have in the rear is a problem here.
January 25th, 2011 at 8:08 am
We were taught through work (phone company) that it is much safer to pull out of a parking space than to back out and you are usually more aware of your surroundings when entering the parking lot, as you’re looking for a space to begin with.
January 25th, 2011 at 11:51 am
I’m an avid back in type of parker. As odd as that sounds to write/say. Two reasons, both have been mentioned. One, when I’m backing in, I’ve had a chance to observe the space and can see that there is nothing behind me (the opposite if you have to back out of your space). Two, the car is more manuverable because I’m not burying the steerable wheels in the parking space.
January 25th, 2011 at 3:17 pm
UPS requires that their drivers always back first. It prevents them from backing out into an unknown scene. If you were to look in most UPS employee parking lots you will find the vast majority of employees “back first”.
January 30th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
Given a choice I will always drive a hundred feet further and pull through the first spot to the second spot. So it appears I backed in but actually I didn’t.
1) It’s much safer to drive out than back out.
2) The extra hundred feet sure isn’t going to harm me. Unless, of course, the parking lot is very icy which it is these days. Thankfully most places are putting sand down on the ice.
March 16th, 2011 at 4:32 pm
When I had an assigned parking spot at work which was on the west side of the building and unshaded, I backed in because the car would be cooler when I left in the late afternoon if the windshield was facing west with a sunshade in it, since the alternative was to have the rear hatch window (which I had no way to shade) facing west, resulting in a broiling car interior (the car had no air conditioning). I likely didn’t bother to back in in winter, but don’t specifically recall (I actually walked and biked to work a lot).
June 15th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
I’m not sure if this is referring to parallel parking or just parking in general. However, I think that you’re onto something with the “maximum preparedness”. But, at the same time, I think that this could be interpreted as a result of conditioning.
The reality is that the reverse gear of all automobiles uses far more gas than other driving gears. Ultimately, a car that is NEVER put in reverse (impossible I know), would theoretically use less fuel than one that uses the gear frequently.
Another school of thought is that backing into a parking spot is useful in terms of saving fuel, because using reverse when the automobile is cold is even worse concerning mpgs. Albeit marginal, the amount of fuel saved by backing into a parking spot for this reason is worthy of attention.
December 16th, 2011 at 6:25 am
It’s just easy to leave when u back in to a parking spot ..Where I live I noticed that the people that live here pull straight in and when they need too leave they get in eachothers way and I just pull right off because I back into my spot .. its funny it really comes down to laziness people just wanna get in the house as fast as they can and don’t think ahead .
March 2nd, 2012 at 9:55 pm
Im 17 and I was a pull in and back out person. We have assigned parking spots at my school. Recently, I started and 95% of the time, still do, to back in to spots. Not just my school spot, but pretty much anywhere I drive. The reason I started is for safety. I backed out of my school spot one day last September and went right into another kids car. He wasn’t too happy obviously lol. My dad also taught me to back in when I was learning to drive. Then he started with pulling in once I improved at it. I’m one of the 2 or 3 kids at my school that backs in to their spot. It makes me feel pretty cool too lol. If the lot is busy, I usually pull in, let the other cars pass, then back out and do a 180, and back in. I’ve been tardy a few times for doing that. I don’t give a $h!t though, I’m not risking another fender bender just so I can be on time.
September 19th, 2012 at 1:44 pm
Reversing is more dangerous than driving forward, so you have just as much chance having a accident wether you reverse up a driveway or reverse out a drive way. Where I live, there has been a number of kids killed by big SUV’s reversing out of house hold driveways so our Safety Nazi at work is making us all reverse park at work where there are no kids and we don’t have big SUV’s. I am sure that if the general habit was to reverse up a driveway, there would be just as many accidents (if not more so as young kids rush out to see mum or dad return home).
Since reversing is harder than driving forward, surely it makes more sense for the average driver to prefer to reverse from a small space to a big space, than to have to reverse from a big space into a small space. Where I live parking is so sought after, that the moment you startreversing out, the other person that wants your park stops traffic while you reverse out, if you are the person lucky enough to get the vacent space, by the time you have stopped and put the car in reverse, some mongrel has tail gated you and won’t let you back up to turn in and you end up with a line of cars with the drivers fuming because they are held up.