We're often accused of doing things backwards. That's why every morning we double-check in the mirror to make sure our shirt is on right. But one thing we do backwards on purpose is parking. If you don't back into your parking spots regularly, you really should give it a try. Once you're backed into a parking spot, leaving that spot is a breeze. For example, there's no craning your neck behind your shoulder both ways to make sure no one is coming. Oh, you have a backup camera? Don't rely on it when backing out of a spot. Its view doesn't reach far enough to either side to tell you whether a car is coming. So, as much as it may aggravate that crick in your neck, look behind you before backing your car out.
However, you don't need to worry about that if you've already backed into the spot. You have a much better view when exiting the spot, since you'll be leaving it head-first. Sure, you have to actually back into the spot to begin with, but that's much easier and safer than backing out.
The easiest way to back into a parking spot, in our opinion, is to start by driving away from the spot. Once the nose of your car gets past your spot, turn away from it so that your vehicle is pointing away from the spot. Then, put your car in reverse and cut your wheel back in the direction of the spot. Once you're lined up with the spot, straighten your wheels. Your Tesla Model Y might damage itself while remotely backing into a parking space, but once you reverse into a spot a couple of times yourself, it gets pretty easy.
This method, as shown in The Driving Coach's YouTube video, works because it lines your car up with the space by the time your rear wheels are barely in the spot. The earlier your car is lined up, the better. Otherwise, you can find yourself having to make adjustments after you're already in the spot, and that's just more hassle than you need.
Here's how to do it. Once you've picked out your spot, flip on your turn signal as you approach the spot to let others know what you're doing. Drive far enough so that the front end of your car passes the spot, just far enough so that you're side mirror is even with the spot's dividing line. At this point, make sure that nothing and no one is in the spot. Turn your wheel away from the spot as you continue to drive forward. Your car should now be pointing away from the spot, probably at about a 45-degree angle. You should be able to see the outside corner of the space in your side-view mirror.
Now, put your car in reverse and cut your wheel the other way, in the direction of the spot. Remember to keep looking behind you and checking your mirrors. Your car will back up in an arc into the spot. As soon as your tires are parallel with the parking spot's lines, straighten your wheels. Your car will probably be barely poking into the spot at this point, so now is the time to make any corrections if necessary. It will be harder to make corrections once you are already in the spot, especially if the spots are tight, unlike the nice big spots in Costco parking lots.
We've mentioned that backing into a parking spot puts you in a better position when you're ready to leave, as you'll have better visibility. This is a big deal, because backing into traffic or pedestrians is a major cause of parking lot accidents. However, there are also other reasons to back in.
Loading and unloading from your trunk or car's cargo area is a lot easier and safer if you've backed up to a curb or walkway. Also, your doors open toward the back of the spot, directing passengers away from cross-traffic, which is safer, especially your passengers are children. Of course, not everyone is a fan of reverse parking. In fact, Jacksonville, Florida tried to ban drivers from backing into their own driveways.
There are other common methods of backing into a spot. But in our experience, some of these techniques result in having to make more corrections as you navigate into the spot. There's also a greater chance, in our opinion, of clipping cars parked on either side of your spot.
That said, we know that there are several of you experienced drivers out there who are convinced that your way of backing into a spot is way better than ours. We want you to know that we fully respect your opinion, so feel free to share your favorite reverse parking method in the comments.
