3 Essential Safety Tips When Reversing Your Vehicle

One of the most difficult operations to execute when driving a vehicle is reversing

. Every driver will recall their first lessons involving reversing and the difficulties associated with knowing which way to turn the steering wheel to get where you want to go. If you don't have the benefit of a reversing camera we all need to freshen up our skills.

Whilst reversing is something that every driver eventually gets used to, there are some simple tricks which instructors have imparted over the years that make reversing a vehicle a little simpler. Of course, many modern vehicles are fitted with reversing cameras and parking sensors to make life even easier, but there are still some things you should know in order to safely reverse your vehicle.

Let's take a look at 3 essential safety tips to use when reversing your vehicle.

Before we look at the essential safety tips, it is timely to remember when it is never safe to engage reverse gear. In the first place, busy roads where there is a lot of traffic are not conducive to reversing of any sort. Secondly, if you are in a side street it is never safe to reverse directly into a busy road as you can't always see approaching traffic.

Having said that let's move on.

* The first tip is to use all your mirrors, both rear view and side mirrors, so you can get the best view possible of the road behind you. Always check your blind spot as well because, unless your mirror is fitted with a convex magnifier, you will not be able to see everything in close proximity to your vehicle. Once you have established that there are no vehicles which could pose a problem, you can safely begin to reverse. Remember that if you are reversing around a corner, your vehicle will swing out so you should make sure there is plenty of room for your vehicle before you start reversing.

* Whenever you are in reverse gear make sure that you lower your speed significantly so you can easily maintain control. If you are reverse parking always use an indicator to alert oncoming drivers about your manoeuvre. If at any stage you feel that the vehicle has gone off course or is not in the best position, immediately disengage reverse and move forward again to a safe position before re-attempting the manoeuvre.

* From a more specific point of view, it's important when reverse parking to ensure that you are not more than 1 m away from a parked vehicle and align your rear passenger side window with the front of the vehicle you are reversing behind. Drive back very slowly and when you see the end of the parked vehicle in your rear passenger side window start to turn your steering wheel to the left one full turn. Check the road behind you over your right shoulder and if it is safe to continue do so until the front of your car is aligned with the back of the parked vehicle. At this point you should turn your steering will fully to the right watching at all times to ensure that you are clear of the parked car as your vehicle begins to swing towards the curb.

Naturally, using the above technique will not be applicable in every circumstance so you should always take advice from your driving instructor. If your vehicle is fitted with a reversing camera or parking sensors, the task will be a lot easier, although they should not be relied upon and should be used as an assistant only. It is always up to the driver to behave responsibly.

by:Clive Rogers

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