Apparently it is illegal to reverse into a drive from a road. It is also illegal to reverse onto a road from a drive!
Erm, it isn't. He must've been having a funny five minutes!
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A few years ago I had a vehicle access finally approved after a very lengthy saga and one of the stipulated conditions was that I provided a vehicle turning area within the property curtilage.
Fair enough then, I did have enough area to do this though it involved me in considerable time, trouble, and expense as the ground slopes, but it still aggravates me intensely to see most of my neighbours reversing in or out of their driveways because they either don't have room to turn round or too many cars to do this
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One mans junk is another mans treasure
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If I see someone coming out of their drive forwards I let them out - if they reverse out no chance -
Richard -two four inch nails propped against rear tyres of chap over the road should slow him down.
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When reversing out of drive way to road, you've a lot more area for reverse manoeuvre than reversing into driveway.
I remember this coming up a few months ago, and I disagree. The road may be bigger than the drive but that's not the point when you're performing a delicate manoeuvre. What you need then, and Cliff points out, is space to move the steering (i.e. front) wheels, so it's easiest to leave them out in the clear as long as possible.
As for supermarkets - previously the only place I'd regularly park nose-in, to allow trolley access to the boot - the situation no longer arises. We've taken to having our big regular shop delivered, and other times I never buy more than I can carry in two big, re-usable bags.
The building I used to work in actually went so far as to introduce - and enforce - a rule that cars must be parked nose-out. This rather spoiled the quiet superiority complexes of those of us who were doing it already. };---)
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A friend insists on reversing onto our drive. We've pointed out that we have a turning area but to no avail!
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L\'escargot.
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Evening, Mr Helix. I seem to remember you and I disagreed on this matter last time round. }:---)
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Evening Mr Helix. I seem to remember you and I disagreed on this matter last time round. }:---)
WillDeBeest, you must have misunderstood my post.
I agree absolutely with doing it when there isn't room on the drive to turn round. I was just telling a related anecdote. What's the point of visitors reversing on the road when there's enough room on our drive for at least maximum size motorhomes to turn? In fact anything which could go through a 10 foot wide gateway could turn if it used part of the lawn. No, this particular visitor is just plain awkward and contrary and just won't be told!
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L\'escargot.
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quiet superiority complexes
The mind boggles WDB!
In public car parks you often see people struggling to reverse, with restricted visibility, into narrow parking spaces. I sometimes look back and see they are still to-ing and fro-ing in the car while I?m walking into the shop.
IMO its better to drive forwards into the 2.4m by 4.8m space, so you then have a 6m by 20m (or whatever) space to reverse out into. I cant see what is difficult about: reversing a few feet, full lock on, reverse out, drive away.
I think my method is quicker and easier; but then I think whichever method each of us is used to is going to seem quicker and easier than the other method.
;o)
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Really depends on the type of road which the property is on. On cul-de-sacs and other 'unclassified roads', I would reverse onto the drive.
On classified roads (where planning permission is required for a GOOD reason), I would generally seek to turn on-site unless traffic conditions (speeds, numbers etc) or the absence of on-site turning capacity would suggest otherwise. Why? Well I'm a planner so partly it's from a theoretical view that reversing onto a road would not give you decent visibility splays. The other is from practical experience from being out on site, standing on busy/fast moving roads and working through the likely outcomes if I were to recommend approval of such accesses.
Bost
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House is on a cul de sac spur @ 90 degrees to access and further 90 degrees into drive. Much easier to go past and "wiggle" in backwards - trying to reverse out at 6am with misted windows and neighbours cars around would be a nightmare.
Rich's method in car parks works fine at eg Sainsbury's where the roads are two cars wide and all parking in well defined bays. At local station it's much safer to pass bay wide and, although it's a slight struggle, reverse in - even interupting the manoeuvre to liberate bike from boot.
That way when you arrive home and find some berk attending a late show in town has squeezed on the end of the row opposite you can still get home for tea!!
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 30/11/2007 at 20:24
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On our drive I drive in/ reverse out too, but we live on a v. small cul-de-sac with only 2 houses past ours. I've only ever lived on quiet roads with hardly any traffic, so Ive always done it this way, but if we lived on a busy road then I would most likely do it differently.
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Advantages of driving in forwards: 1. You are less likely to run over a cat, dog or small child; 2. It's safer if you live on a busy road, as you don't hold up other drivers so much; 3. It's "natural", convenient and less effort at the end of a long, tiring journey; 4. If you catch the milkman trying to make a speedy exit you'll have more time to react and pin him against garage wall with front of car
Advantages of reversing in: 1. An easier, faster, safer start to your journey in the morning; 2. Slightly easier access to boot full of shopping; 3. Allows a fast exit if the Germans invade (Home Office advice, circa 1940, still followed by some older drivers)
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BBC Reports on Court Case
Driver fined over pensioner death
A driver who killed a 90-year-old woman after reversing over her has been fined £500 and given six penalty points.
Colin Anderson, 48, was backing out of his drive in Hurlford, Kilmarnock, in January, when he knocked down Katherine Smith, who was walking on the pavement.
Anderson and a passer-by pulled Ms Smith clear but she died in hospital.
At Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, the coach driver was convicted of driving without due care and attention. He was cleared of having broken reverse lights.
The court heard the Highway Code ruled drivers should always reverse into driveways and drive out forwards.
Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane said she had to take into account the culpability of his driving and not the consequences, adding that the offence was "at the lower end of the scale".
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> I think the theory is that if you go in forwards so you have to reverse out it is much more difficult for a thief to nick it compared to if you back in so it's easier to drive off.
I hadn't thought of this and the scales have now fallen from my eyes. From now on, not only will I park nose-in, but before leaving the car, I will also deflate all four tyres and the spare, obscure all the windows with shaving foam, and remove the steering wheel. It may delay my departure a little, but this seems a tiny price to pay for making my car less attractive to thieves.
};---)
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Or you could just remove the rotor arm in the time-honoured way.
My only slight qualm about reversing in is when the road is very busy. You are slowing down, watching for the entrance, so have a queue of tailgaiters behind you. You now presumably indicate (say) left, but pull over to the right at an angle ready for the reversing move, and stop. So now you have to persuade the first car to go back a bit, and possibly the others too.
It is in those circumstances a lot easier to drive straight in, even if you have to swing out to do so.
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