Safe Speed Forums

Are people now being taught to reverse off their drives and right across the road if they want to go left (from their perspective)? The last few years I have seen this behaviour becoming more and more prevalent. I am not talking about small residential roads but wide roads where it would be quite possible to reverse without crossing the center markings.

I don't know whether or not this is true, but I was taught that it's actually illegal to reverse onto a main road.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/19.htm

The rules seem to be pretty much as I remember them. What people are taught and what is in the highway code is not always the same though hence the question.

round here if you're on a main road the requirement for getting a dropped kerb is not only having a suitable hardstanding on your proprty but also room to turn the car round.

Hmm apparently it isn't illegal to reverse on to a major road. The only law referenced in the highway code on that page is:

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Andrew.

I'm never in driveways, the only one is my grans... Hers is up a steep hill, and is shared by her and a neighbour... Reversing up it is possible, but I tend not to. The street is a cul-de-sac, with very little traffic and good visibility both ways, so I just drive in... If it was a main road I would more than likely reverse in, or make sure I have space to turn... It annoys the hell outta me when people pull out... I tend not to let them out, whereas if it was a busy road and they were coming out of their drive forwards, I would probably let them out...

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Mike

And rule 177? I think your drive would come under the description 'minor' road!

Where the HC designates a legal requirement it uses 'MUST' or 'MUST NOT'. Since these forms are not present in rule 177, we should assume that it is not against the law to do so.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Haven't you got that the wrong way round? Isn't it those folk reversing who are more likely to be causing a danger and more likely to need your help?

Or perhaps you think it's your job to reward good driving and punish bad driving?

[OK, I'm sorry, I'm teasing a bit and I know you're trying to do the right thing. But I do think you need to think just a little more deeply about this one.]

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Once you learn the techniques you'll find it is easier to reverse in than drive in forward. Just need to learn to use those mirrors. Reversing in also saves you time when you leave (usually when you need the time most).

Mind you, that depends on how steep the hill is, and how good the car is at reversing up such a hill... My RWD Omega has struggled to reverse up some steepish slopes which it has little difficulty in climbing nose first - all the engine bay weight over the front wheels, and just whatever's in the fuel tank and boot to keep the back end down.

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Chris

Considering I learned my reversing technique as a van driver in predominantly RWD vans (Mitsubushi L300, engine and driver over the front axle) often with nothing more than a couple of VCRs to weigh them down I have to disagree.

Paul, just because it's not a law, you're surely not suggesting we should ignore the fact that it is damned good advice and only apply it when it suits US

The rule these days tends to be:

"If you reverse out in front of somebody, be sure to pull away in front of them (immediately but at a subsequent sow speed), rather than letting them pass you."

I always reverse onto my drive, but you'd be suprised how many people pull up right behind me so I can't reverse and they have to do a very sharp right hander to get around me. I even got some abuse off a somewhat chavvy bird in an elderly German saloon. This happens dispite my best effort to give people a decent amount of warning.

I really don't like the idea of reversing onto the road, You just can't see enough by looking over your shoulder. At least by driving forward you have 180 degrees worth of vision.

Yes, absolutely. In general it is good advice, but there are particular circumstances where it is not practical, therefore people must be able to make a judgment as to what is best to do.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

No. But you were responding to a comment that it 'wasn't illegal', and designated that you were 'confused'.

It's a good rule, well worth observing.

But there are worthy exceptions. Just recently, I turned into a side road that proved to be blocked. There wasn't room to turn around and reversing into the main road was the smart thing to do with appropriate care. I am pleased it wasn't against the law.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Feel free to do so, you're only relaying some of your personal driving experience in the same way I was - your RWD vans might have been able to reverse up the steepest of slopes with no ballast in the back, my RWD saloon struggles to do the same. Neither of us are right or wrong, it all depends on specific circumstances, so maybe the OP is in a similar situation to me where reversing up said slope would be significantly trickier than driving up it, or maybe they're in a similar situation to you, where it's perhaps more a lack of confidence in their reversing skills than a lack of traction 'tween rubber and road...

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Chris

Hm, I guess I was a bit quick to say that, it kinda depends where it is, and how fast they reverse out and stuff... It's probably not something I could say I definetly do this way or that way each time, it depends on circumstances at the time.

Her drive is... Steep... It would probably be easier to reverse up it actually, would give better control on the way out again...

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Mike

Problem is that a lot of the time non van/HGV drivers suffer from the defect that because they can see the Van/HGV, they automatically assume that the driver has x ray vision or can see round corners ---the "I can see him,so he MUST be able to see me " logic.
It's IMHO lack of experience of and possibly education to the lack of all round vision in something more enclosed than a car.
Again, stop to reverse - first thing (usaully a car driver) thinks "why is he stopping there ".again possible lack of experience in poor rearward vision and no experience of somat blinder(rearwards) than a car .

If not , why is it that a van /HGV can have to stop several times to let traffic past , untill a (almost always) van /HGV comes along , blocks traffic to let the van/HGV finish off??
Mind you - people living on a main road - why don't they drive in when it's busy, wait till a quiet time, and turn car round ready for a safe exit into the morning traffic -