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Hundreds voice frustrations about reverse parking from main road
MORE than 400 people have voiced their frustration at having to reverse into parking spaces from a busy main road in Northwood Hills.
Motorists have been forced to back into angled parking bays near Argyle House in Joel Street since Hillingdon Council changed the parking arrangements last year.
Some 420 residents have signed a petition urging the council to allow people to drive forwards into a bay, amid fears that 'an accident is waiting to happen'.
The petition has been organised by Winchester Road resident, Alan Lester, who is aiming to improve driver safety and maximise use of parking spaces.
Mr Lester said: "People could drive forwards to park for about 40 years until until the council changed it about a year ago, including painting white lines to designate a space.
"Now, parking bays are angled away from traffic flow, requiring drivers to reverse into them.
"This puts stress on the driver, as most people find reversing into a narrow gap not an easy manoeuvre - I hate reversing into a parking space, as most normal human beings do, because it's not natural.
"The current arrangement means people often get frustrated as the traffic builds up, and many drivers are crossing the road to drive into a bay on the opposite side, which is an accident waiting to happen.
"We want the council to change the direction of the bays so people can drive forwards, without worrying other drivers breathing down their neck, then when leaving the bay, they can wait for a break in traffic before slowly and safely reversing out.
"Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner MP, Nick Hurd, and Deputy Mayor of London, Councillor Richard Barnes (Harefield, Con), have also expressed their support, and its great they are willing to get involved."
The petition has also been backed by the Northwood Hills Residents' Association (NHRA).
NHRA chairman, Andrew Riley, said: "Some people are driving in a forward direction from the other side of the road. This is extremely dangerous as drivers simply cannot see oncoming traffic."
Mr Lester says he was told by Hillingdon Council that the parking changes were based on a directive from the Department of Transport.
It suggests that because angled bays encourage motorists to reverse into them, when they pull out of the spaces, they are able to see other traffic more easily.
Mr Lester added: "It seems like the council is just covering its back, as it will get the blame if there is an accident."
Head of transportation and planning policy at Hillingdon Council, Jales Tippell, said: "There were no formal parking bays in Joel Street prior to the successful introduction of the popular 'stop and shop' scheme, which created free short term parking that benefits both residents and businesses.
"Reversing into on coming traffic is unsafe and against the Highway Code. The bays were designed in recognition of this, reflecting both common sense and current national road safety design standards, and were fully endorsed by the police."
What do you think? Email Gazette reporter Siba Matti at sibamatti@trinitysouth.co.uk or post a comment below.
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I am an advanced driving instructor and I believe the council are right! Reversing into an angled parking bay is safer than trying to reverse out onto a busy road with your view restricted by cars parked either side.
Don't be outgraged people of Rickmansworth!
It's safer, on balance, to reverse in then drive out forwards than the other way around. Most drivers don't think ahead when they park, prefering to go for the easy short term option and nosey park. If they have trouble reversing in safely then heaven help any passing traffic when they later reverse out!
Oh dear, what a load of tosh. A reversing manoeuvre has to be made, either at the start or at the end of the exercise. It's clearly much safer NOT to reverse into oncoming traffic. Anyone who isn't capable of reversing into a bay is not safe to be driving and should have their licence revoked.
I'm sure a local driving instructor will be pleased to give Mr Lester some tuition on reverse bay parking. Does he know it's a mandatory requirement in the driving test these days (perhaps unlike when he took his test). With a little practice he'll find he much prefers to reverse park, then have safety on his side when emerging into the traffic again.
It all boils down to courtesy. Even if drivers do indicate, slow down and put on their reversing lights to show that they are about to reverse into one of the bays, the chances are that the numpty behind them is so far up their backside as to make the manoeuvre impossible. People are constantly overtaking the reversing drivers and swerving into oncoming traffic. However, the majority of drivers trying to park in these new style bays are slamming on their brakes and driving backwards into the oncoming traffic. No-one cares about anyone else and they simply do as they please - as is constantly displayed at the Tesco Express at the top of Tolcarne - where drivers wanting to go into the petrol station block Tolcarne preventing other drivers from exiting into Joel Street. Northwood Hills is a joke - or at least it would be if it was remotely funny.
There is no doubt that it can be more convenient and sometimes advantageous to drive in forwards especially when you have to load and unload items from the boot - but apart from the huge safety benefit of being able to drive straight out, reversing into a space shows a measure of driver skill and can provide you with several advantages.
• The first is that it is safer to reverse into the relative shelter of the parking space rather than to reverse out into the danger which a line of moving traffic presents. This is especially pertinent if children are in the vehicle.
• A driver’s view is severely restricted through the rear windows compared with the front windscreen and side windows, especially when parked between vehicles.
• Driving out forwards from parking spaces gives a driver much earlier views of potential hazards, leaving them with more time to react to developing situations.
• Most drivers find it easier to control a car going forwards than backwards so the advantages of driving out forwards into a dangerous environment such as busy high streets and shopping car parks are manifest.
• Studies show that it takes many drivers anything from a few yards to as far as 2 miles to settle into ‘driving mode’ when they start their journey or even after stopping at traffic lights or exiting from minor roads, so it doesn't make sense to undertake a potentially high risk manoeuvre such as reversing into danger when concentration is not fully on the task.
• The reduction in wear and tear on you and the car is of benefit too - plus the fact that you can pull away immediately while the engine is cold, rather than labouring it doing a protracted reversing manoeuvre.
• From a security point of view, reversing close to an object such as a wall can make it more difficult for thieves to access your boot.
• If you need to exit a parking space quickly for personal security, driving out provides you with better acceleration and improved vision.
So, residents of Northwood and Rickmansworth why not over the next week or so try reversing into parking spaces? If you have electric mirrors you may find it helpful to lower your nearside mirror as this will provide you with a guide to your lateral position - but don’t forget to raise it again before you move off. Some vehicles do this automatically.
Another option where all the spaces run in parallel rows is to line your car up with the space in front and reverse back in a straight line. This should automatically position you in the centre of the space.
Today, many companies have a mandatory ‘Reverse Park Only’ policy in their car parks to comply with the health and safety at work act. True, they don’t have to load the boot with the month’s shopping but as more and more companies are endorsing the ‘reverse park’ policy in the interest of their workers safety don’t you think it’s worth trying?
Geoff Bevan
Chief Observer
Bristol Advanced Motorists
I have a young family and it is a great joy to get the pram from the boot on the foot path and not the road.
Do drivers really enjoy loading their boot with moving traffic flying past inches away?
It is a lot safer to reverse into a parking space than it is to reverse out of one. If people do the latter then there won't be accidents waiting to happen. There will be a lot of accidents actually happening. I had to reverse park there myself on Sunday and I don't recall seeing any warning signs for motorists saying that people were likely to be reverse parking. If there are signs then they are not very clear if not then perhaps the council might consider placing such signs
I take exception to Mr Lester's comment, "I hate reversing into a parking space, as most normal human beings do, because it's not natural". Since I always try to reverse park, presumably Mr Lester believes I am abnormal? It would be interesting to meet him and discuss this.