To me, it seems objectively easier to pull into a parking space forward and then back out of the space when you are ready to leave. You don’t have to line up with the lines while driving backwards, and it’s easier to keep from hitting other cars as well. So why back in? To me, the only advantage I can think of is that you can get out quicker, technically.
Edit: I do not need driving instruction, just wondered why. The reasoning.
I like this answer, and had not considered it. Good insight. I knew people would have specific situations like certain parking areas or certain street parking, but I really wanted “general” answers, and this is a good one. Thanks.
My grandfather had two habits drilled into him in the Army: never put your hands in your pockets so they’re always ready for action, and always park your vehicle so it’s ready to go.
This means he always backed in, and always parked as close to the exit as possible. And he did post-drive checks to ensure fluids, lights, brakes etc. were as they should be and the vehicle was ready for immediate use.
And he wasn’t even a getaway driver after the war.
Yep I’m all about setting myself up for success. And backing into parking spaces does that. Also it’s drilled into my head from the oilfield that you will always back in because it’s safer.
It’s actually kind of inconvenient to be behind someone doing this. It takes longer than pulling in and sometimes it’s unexpected. Like I thought this one guy was turning but he was just lining up to back into a spot. He got mad when I pulled up behind him lol
Takes about the same amount of time as someone backing out when leaving, so it’s balanced out eventually. It’s a little unexpected but I don’t put my car anywhere I’m not 100% sure is safe, and backwards parking isn’t particularly rare, so I’m never really taken aback that much
You can just pull out of the spot and go, no need to change direction etc.
In a tight car park I have almost got stuck once because there wasn’t enough room for me to back out and get my nose out from between the cars on either side to move forward
Apart from the visibility argument. With this kind of parking spot you have to leave the spot in the other direction than you came in. So you’ll only get the enhanced agility for one of the moves.
Would you rather have more agility when getting into the tight parking spot or when leaving onto a larger street?
I have a private parking spot off street in a city. I don’t like backing up towards the main road; since it has pedestrians and stuff. It’s a little harder to see.
So I back into the spot. It’s way easier than backing out - and pulling out is even easier. 
My work parking garage is already really tight. It’s another situation where backing in is easier than backing out - and driving forward our is even easier. So just some planning.
I can do both just as easily. It really depends on if I’m going to be using the trunk or not. Believe it or not it’s actually illegal to back in some states. Cops are supposed to be able to see your license plate at a glance.
You can see people walking in the path if the car much easier If a small child ran behind the car while reversing I don’t think I’d see them even anywhere near as well as I would if they ran out in front of the car as i was pulling out of the space.
Once you reverse park for a while, it actually becomes easier than forward parking. It is also safer, statistically proven, and easier to get out. And in the case of an emergency, if you are getting chased then you just pull out and drive away asap, no need to reverse slowly; if your battery dies, the hood is right there easy to change or jump start the car.
I think you just need more experience driving. Either one is pretty much equally easy, it just depends on how much space you have to work with and what angle you’re approaching from. For example there’s one parking spot at my workplace that’s basically impossible to get into without backing into it.
Listen. Some of us are looking forward. To the Future. The future of pulling out of that parking spot. Not my fault if you stuck in the rear-view, my guy.
I always tell my wife that anyone backing in is an idiot lol I find it funny these people think they are fancy. It’s just silly. Takes more time and doesn’t really make it easier to pull out especially not in a one way parking lot where I see people still do this 🤦
if you think it takes more time, or that it doesn’t make it easier to pull out then you sir don’t know how to reverse park and are so wrong that i’m not sure you have ever reverse parked
Especially in tight carparks, it's much easier to get both in and out with a large vehicle. Plus you can see much better which on a car with no reverse camera is a big plus.
Why not? I’ve never understood why this bothers people. I back into a space because sometimes it just seems easier from the direction I’m coming, and it’s not difficult for me. It’s somewhat like exercising a skill, like “why do a wheelie on your bike when you can ride it with two wheels on the ground?”. For fun, if nothing else.
I remember hearing about a study that claimed that backing into parking spaces could have you hundreds of dollars per year, since doing the reversing while the engine is hot uses less gas.
All sorts of crazy stuff happens in parking areas. When someone pulls kamikaze-style parking maneuvers, you a really don’t want that to happen behind you where it’s difficult to see what’s going on.
My current car is my first car that has a backup camera, and I actually find it much easier to see backing out of a space with the camera’s wide field of view.
Driving forward, especially in a sensible normal-sized sedan, your view can easily be blocked by someone’s giant Suburban on your left and Billybob’s overcompensating pickup truck on your right, both of which always come with shit parking jobs. Your best chance is to very slowly inch forward and hope any oncoming drivers notice the front of your car moving into the lane before your windows clear the taller vehicles.
But the backup camera sees 180 degrees from the bumper, so you can always see traffic in both directions well before any part of your car might get in anyone’s way.
I can’t imagine a reverse camera being a better alternative to looking out the front windscreen - sure it being a bit further forward then your seating position and wide angle might give it a bit extra visibility around close objects, but it definitely does not offset the advantage of a natural ~200 degree field of view - and that is before you move your eyes or swivel your head. This is much much more valuable particularly for faster moving objects (which are a greater problems).
That said I may be biased because my current vehicle has rear front and side cameras so I get the best of both worlds!
Hondas have 3 views, at least on my 2020 Civic and wife’s 2023 HRV.
“Wide” is for checking for vehicles, pedestrians, etc. when your view is obstructed on the sides (it’s probably more like 178, but I can see at least 200 ft down the sidewalk in both directions when backing out of my driveway, including beyond my neighbor’s overgrown bushes.) The picture is skewed on the sides though.
“Regular” is undistorted for maneuvering and seeing directly behind you. This is like the default mode you’d expect to see.
“Top-down” shows about 3-4 ft of the pavement below/behind the car for backing up close to walls, parking barriers, other parked cars, etc.
You change them with touchscreen buttons. All of them have guidelines and distance markers that move with the steering wheel.
My jetta has 120 degree view camera, but 180 degree object sensor, and the sensor literally screams at you before the camera can even process the visuals
You certainly have more visibility when leaving but you have less visibility when backing into a confined space.
I am on the fence on this. Our office had zero accidents in fifteen years diving in but three backing in dings in the three years since encouraged. Hit a Bobcat, hit a trailer and hit one of the employee trucks.
On the fence because possibly it is more of our office. There is no thru traffic as a private location and there is a fair amount of room to back out where as the parking is relatively tight.
When backing into a spot, you can predict that there shouldn’t be anything behind you. But you should always check your blind spots. I kind of cheat though because I have a backup camera
Possibly it is statically better when dealing with busy and tight parking locations. Ie. Malls or tight office complexes etc. Might be no benefits in low traffic locations where the yard is large enough that strait in driving is easy and backing out is into a fairly open space. Such as my location.
My guys choose to do back in parking after the oil industry started to suggest it in safety meetings. I didn’t really care what option they chose but with the three accidents in a short period, no longer sure backing in is safer in all situations.
The sun is directly towards my window shield, if I back in. I can put a Sun visor in the windshield and the car is much more tolerable temperature-wise in the summer. But only if I back into my parking spot.
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