Back Your Car In
According to statistics, 25% of all parking lot accidents are caused by motorists backing out of a space. So, not only is it a bad idea if you want to reduce your risk of a parking lot accident, but it’s also a big mistake from a self-protection view point. Remember back your car in.
Think about it. When you arrive somewhere, such as the movies or grocery store, you generally have time to back your car into a space. (It’s not like you’d be going to either location in an emergency right?).
Emergency
The emergency, if it comes, will be when you are out and about on regular business and, if it’s like most emergencies, every second will count. That’s not the time to run to your car and struggle with backing it out. Even if it’s not an emergency you’re increasing your risk of an accident as evidenced by the above stats.
If it’s nose out already, leaving in a hurry will be a breeze.
I did see a post once by some jackass who called the practice “combat parking.” No, it’s simply called backing it in but it does make sense from a tactical viewpoint which is probably what he was trying to get at.
Consideration
If your car doesn’t have a backup camera as standard equipment do consider getting one. They cost a couple of hundred bucks at your local car stereo place and are worth their weight in gold. Again, there are multiple benefits to having one. Not only will it facilitate backing up but it also spots kids and/or people walking behind your car. According to statistics, the single biggest non-traffic accident killer of kids by cars is during what is called a “back over.” It’s pretty much what it sounds like. The driver of the car backs up but can’t see the kid behind the car due to them being too short or small.
