Pull Out Safely

Roughly one in seven vehicle incidents occur in parking lots. Many incidents occur when drivers are pulling out from parking spaces. There are three practical reasons for backing in:

1. HUMAN FACTORS

By the time a driver returns to their vehicle after a long day at work or shopping, they are likely to be under the spell of one or more human factors, including fatigue, frustration, and the urge to rush on to their next destination.

Drivers have a smaller field of vision when reversing their vehicle. More can go wrong. Therefore, it’s important to perform backing maneuvers upon arrival at a destination (when the mind is still sharp) rather than waiting until later to reverse from a parking spot.

2. PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

According to a AAA survey, 76 percent of U.S. drivers most frequently park their vehicle by pulling forward into a parking spot, rather than backing in. But this is a riskier practice that leaves pedestrians more vulnerable when the driver later reverses from a parking spot and into a traffic lane where pedestrians must often walk.

3. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Emergencies almost always cause panic and rushing. If the need to evacuate is urgent, it’s much quicker to get into a vehicle and drive straight out with a good field of vision.