Moving forwards on parking problems
Wednesday 24th December 2008, 2:58PM GMT.
From Christopher Davey.
ONCE again we have reached that moment of peak aggravation as traffic tails back within Sand Street car park, as distracted drivers try to manoeuvre their totally inappropriate ‘trucks’.
Transport focus groups have long since recommended the banning of 4x4s from this particular multi-storey; but to no avail.
There is, however, an alternative and much simpler solution, which, were drivers to adopt it universally, would make the problem evaporate. The very simple answer is: Drive into the slot forwards.
Reversing any vehicle accurately into a space between two other cars requires a fair modicum of skill; reversing in a 4×4 demands skill of quite a high order – something clearly not possessed by many. Driving in forwards, on the other hand, demands virtually no skill at all. And backing out thereafter into the central clearway should be manageable with little difficulty, however large the vehicle.
Can we all please give it a try? – so that we road-enraged queuers can get on with this utterly tedious business of our Christmas/New Year shopping.
La Robinette,
Rue du Crocquet,
St Brelade.
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This makes no sense at all. it’s well known that reversing into a space gives a vehicle more manouverability as the turning wheels are at the front.
Driving in forwards is harder.
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Some of those 4x4s are so wide that when they park next to you it is impossible to get in to your car.
Great idea to ban them from Sand street car park.
Don’t forget those dangerous turns where a vehicle going down can suddenly appear to your right.
These monsters should be taxed extra.
More cash for CM Le Sueur’s black hole filling.
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Yes Kay, you are correct in saying that reversing into a space is easier, but takes ,Just that little longer.leading to tail-backs, if everyone parked forward there would be I´m sure much less tail-backs, and as one reverses out one can wait until there is a space with out holding traffic up.
As for 4x4s it is in my view, not their size that is a problem, but the inexperience of the driver that is at fault.
It would be wise to find a quiet parking area, say at the five mile road and just practice reversing something a responsible person, i´m sure would do.
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Bridget, I don’t agree.
Surely it’s quicker to go in backwards first time than spend ages going in and out trying to get in forwards?
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That’s great but driving forwards into a space takes more space than is given in most parking spaces. Maybe it would be a good idea for driving licences not to be handed out to people who haven’t become accomplished at reverse parking… it is usually part of the test after all.
I can do a reverse park perfectly well and suitably quickly (years of time in a city with narrow streets will do that to you) maybe others should practice their control of a car in reverse before going out and parking on the street.
Alternatively… people in Jersey should just have more patience and understand that they have extremely limited traffic problems compared to others elsewhere!
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Bridget, if everyone drove in forwards then parking spaces would have to be larger, resulting in fewer spaces being available, resulting in more people driving round and round trying to find a space while polluting the air nicely.
What about public transport folks? Or what about parking half a mile outside town and walking in… given the recent headlines on Jersey’s fitness it wouldn’t do the island any harm to adopt such an approach.
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While one is picking on 4x4s, remember that they tend to take up a little less road than a saloon car of an equivalent standard. The smaller one have less of a footprint than a new-style mini, and the executive class ones are not as wide and long as Jags or Bentleys.
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4x4s tend to think the highway code doesn’t apply to them – they cut corners in the roads, they don’t look where they’re going and every accident I’ve had has involved a 4×4. One 4×4 knocked me off my motorbike and didn’t even stop! Luckily i wasn’t hurt but my bike was – a week later another 4×4 ran me over going through a narrow road in town – why are these monstrosities allowed in Jersey? They shouldn’t be allowed especially in town where roads are narrow.
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Bridget is correct.
From what I have seen in Sand street car park over the past 30 odd years is,
That the people reversing into a space hold up the traffic much more that those driving straight in.
Most women cannot reverse very well in any case (no offence intended)
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Please don’t forget that many of our car parks were designed when the majority of cars were on the whole much smaller than those we drive now. 20 or so years ago, only farmers and such like used 4 wheeled drive vehicles!
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they will go out of fashion one of these days.
and will be with us for a long time as they filter down the food chain so to speak.
sorry to hear that lula was knocked off a motorbike shame you did not get the j number.
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If you observe an average person driving into a space you will find that the car usually ends up at an angle to the space unless the driver reverses back and straightens up. That means that the traffic behind still has to wait.
I am with Leah. If you can’t reverse into a parking space properly and without taking an age to do it, perhaps you should hand your licence in.
Lula, my 4×4 doesn’t tend to think anything. It is a car. This whole argument is more to do with the standard of driving in Jersey.
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i think a few good points have come out here ,firstly all you people who drive your cars to town and park it there for 8 hours then drive home are just too lazy to walk ,cycle,get the bus or share lifts .Secondly the driving standards in jersey are very bad ,and thirdly i have a big gas drinking 4×4 pick up which drinks less than the average family car ,and isnt much bigger than one and i got it to replace my van and my car so “1 car does all jobs “therefore doing a bit for global warming at the same time !
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Lula, don’t forget Mazda and BMW drivers… they don’t even come with indicators apparently.
And I can agree that the standard of driving in Jersey is definitely quite low. I have seen people only driving at 30mph still struggling to keep on their side of the road round a bend (even on a straight sometimes). It seems that the fact that you never get to drive at proper speeds means that you simply don’t develop the control and manouverability that is learned on the mainland.
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Get rid of these fuel hungry 4×4′s.
There should be a heavy environmental tax on these vehicles and parking of them should cost considerably more as they take up more space.
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Having lived on Jersey for 20 years nut now lived in Singapore for the past 4 years, I do recall with sympathy the ‘parking’ problems (normally due to lack of them) on Jersey. Here every building generally has it’s own car park and in a city of 4.3 million people – rarely can you not park a car even during Christmas or other peak shopping times. Virtually all these car parks have one thing in common – Reverse Parking Only. This has proved the fasted way to park a car up and the easiest to get it in and out. Given the volume of cars and experience of parking here and on Jersey – reverse it in!
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Reverse your car in surely must be the safest way to park because as someone mentioned cars often end up on an angle when driven in forwards which if the driver is not careful can end up damaging the cars next to the space. Also some vehicles seem to ignore the white lines thats marking the spaces.
If your driving skills doesnt allow you reverse a car in to a space then maybe people need to get some extra lessons or leave their car at home when going shopping.
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Been There and Anna, I totally agree.
Never mind that it can be very dangerous for people to be trying to reverse out of a space at busy times.
Reversing in means that you have seen the space, know that it is empty and can ensure that it stays empty while you reverse into it. People do not walk through the empty spaces either so there is less chance of a small child appearing behind you.
Reversing out means that cars can appear suddenly (often going too fast for inside a car park) and assume that you can see them well enough to avoid an accident. It would be fine if all drivers paid attention to reverse lights and stopped and intentionally let them out, but they don’t, most don’t want to be held up so they speed up to get by. Never mind that a small child could run away from its guardian and suddenly appear behind your car without you able to see it.
Reversing in is undoubtedly the safest option.
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