I drove for twenty odd years in the UK, but here in Switzerland do not have a car.
Just curious, is it illegal to reverse onto a main road here, as it is in the UK?
We live above a small supermarket which has parking at the front. People drive into the spaces and reverse out (onto the aforementioned main road). In the two months we have lived in this flat I have witnessed two accidents, one about half an hour ago, someone reversing out was hit by someone driving up the road.
After details had been exchanged, both cars reversed out, one was hooted at by an oncoming driver, and the other reversed as a police car was approaching!
In short, if you reverse out of a spot from which you cannot fully ensure the road is clear the accident is your fault, because you've broken the other driver's right of way.
The court even pointed out that if they'd reversed into the parking place the accident wouldn't have happened, and at the very least they should have asked someone to help them reverse out.
It's always astonished me that many car parks and indeed on-street parking zones specify that you must not reverse into the space. So it follows that you must be allowed to reverse out of, even onto a road.
I see from some of the replies that some people don't understand, but in the UK it's accepted (if not universally followed) practice to reverse into a space, so as to drive forward out of it. Not only does this reduce the risk of reversing out into an unseen vehicle, but also allows parking spaces to be tighter. Sadly many drivers don't seem to be able to perform this simple manouevre, so we end up with a mix of front and rear parking.
Going off how I read that case I linked to above, it's still your fault if you cause an accident reversing out even if the parking place is designed in such a way to make it very difficult to do otherwise, or there are no signs to tell you to do otherwise.
It seems that the risk and responsibility lies entirely with the reversing driver that type of parking spot - something to bear in mind next time I use one!
Us old ones sometimes recall things the way they 'used to be', and I know it's boring...but... the driving schools in England in the 1950s and early 60s taught that you should always back into any space simply because it's the safest way to get out. Exceptions weren't allowed. This among other things that seemingly aren't done anymore.
Everytime I see the cars parked facing inwards near the local Kindergarten I think of those long-gone sensible days.
A husband and wife are watching a man patiently reversing his car into a parking space - delaying their own journey. The wife tutted "Why is it men always reverse into parking spaces?". The husband responded "Because they can".
I learnt to drive in the UK and always reverse into a space. It's frustrating here in car parks that they request you park forwards. Just seems really unnatural to me. I also had a job where I had to visit less than safe sites and it was reinforced to reverse into a space, as its easier to make a quick getaway . This was even more important as I'm a girl! And yes, I can reverse into a space, any space without having to do umpteen manoeuvre.
I think there is something to what you say, but I think it had more to do with the exhaust, particularly from two-stroke engine smoke, filling up the shops. The days of black marks on the walls I think are more or less gone, but the imprint lives on.
When and where I did my test there was a limit below "several hundred metres" that you could reverse at all and reversing round a corner a total no no, without the help in exceptional circumstances of a person on foot to warn other traffic?
In fact driving in any place where you can't actually see is usually totally illegal! For obvious reasons.
Spent a lot of driving lessons on many different ways to park safely and legaly.
Must say when I bought the guide to driving safely in Switzerland I was intrigued by it's being such a slender volume! Most of the rules I knew so well were missing!!!
As far as I remeber, there is no limit on how far you are allowed to reverse. You just have to keep in mind, that while you are doing it everibody else has the right of way and that you are not allowed to impede traffic or to drive faster than 5 km/h (wlaking speed). If you reverse for more than 50m you have to change the side of the roads (ie driving on the same side of the road as if you were driving forward in that direction).
Reversing is indeed a standard manuvour in Swiss driving tests, as it allows you to asses the controle the driver has of his car and his awarness, as it requires him to constantly check for oncoming traffic in all directions.
This however is not performed on a main road, but rather on some minor road and the corners around one has to reverse are chosen such that there are no objects obstructing the driver's view.