Some one hit my parked car from the rear while driving in reverse, (luckily there was no major damage), but I noticed while he was driving that he was using his mirrors only without turning his head to look back while in reverse. I use the Traditional method of look rear while reversing (even if there's a parking assistant installed) but I noticed there are some die hard mirror drivers that prefer the use of the mirror. So I ask what's the smartest way to drive a car in reverse?



Or

The conventional way!

The images in mirror can be deceiving!

Good if u doublecheck

Beg person make him dey direct you

yorex2011:
Beg person make him dey direct you

I no even think am that one sure pass

yorex2011:
Beg person make him dey direct you

u neva see situation where person direct u inside gutter, u go dey tell am say he don do, he go dey say come, i say come joors no b me dey hia...next thn na gutter

missdebs:
u neva see situation where person direct u inside gutter, u go dey tell am say he don do, he go dey say come, i say come joors no b me dey hia...next thn na gutter

Lmao

When reversing towards a parked car I usually stop when the distance between the bottom my back window and the windshield of the parked car is half the length of the hood of the parked car, by estimation. Once I'm able to establish this, I move a little further so that the distance now is half of the previous half and then I hit the brake. I think this is the smartest and safest way that has worked for me over the years. The clue is make sure you don't keep reversing when the hood of the parked car is out of view or has disappeared from your view else you hit the car behind. Anyone else with a superior method?

It depends on your skill level and behind the wheel experience.

I use my mirrors exclusively. I routinely tow trailers. If you can't back up without turning back and can't use your mirrors successfully well you're not a experienced driver yet. My opinion.

missdebs:
u neva see situation where person direct u inside gutter, u go dey tell am say he don do, he go dey say come, i say come joors no b me dey hia...next thn na gutter

Lol.

I use the 3 mirrors mostly, especially when The only risk is scratching the sides of the car i.e. no direct rear obstacle. When there's an obstacle directly at the rear I use the mirrors but I look back as well as I get closer. Can't say if this is the smartest, just my style

Piyke:



I use the 3 mirrors mostly, especially when The only risk is scratching the sides of the car i.e. no direct rear obstacle. When there's an obstacle directly at the rear I use the mirrors but I look back as well as I get closer. Can't say if this is the smartest, just my style

Same trick I often use.

I use my mirrors mostly, but if I wanna reverse a long stretch with a little speed, then the traditional looking back comes to play

I use my mirrors exclusively, never turn my head. And now that I have parking assist and reverse camera things just got a lot easier. I think I've been spoilt and whenever I try driving a car without parking assist and reverse camera it normally takes me a few seconds to adjust to using just the mirrors.

When going back on a straight line, I just look back only. But when it has to do with gutters and cars packed at both sides, I use my side mirrors to guage scratching a car and falling in the gutter and looking back to check no one is crossing (children especially) and no car is coming.

In Lagos it is very hard reversing market women will not leave the road even if your car has blades by the sides, pedestrians don't give way to cars, double parking or useless parking is rampant and the useless driver will be closeby waiting for you to scratch his car and see wahala.
The best bet is to look back and constantly viewing the side mirrors which act as a viewer and also guaging how close you are to parked cars

Source: My personal Experience.

my style is similar to davo3286's in the same situation, but I stop reversing once the hood of the parked car completely disappears from my rearview mirror

I won't say it's superior

Using mirror is the best and safest way.I use the three mirrors. Initially when i started driving, i couldn't reverse without looking back. but constant practice made it possible. I can cover two kilometers on reverse using my three mirrors. (but don't try it at night or when visibility is poor)

You will discover that use of mirrors is stress free.

Looking back through the rear windscreen is the erroneous way most people learn to reverse when they start driving (same with solely monitoring cars behind you with your rear view mirror). But when I graduated to driving pick up trucks (with a cabin at the back obscuring the rear view) at my former job I learnt to make proper use of my side mirrors for reversing and also for monitoring traffic behind me. It's ok to look through the back (if your vehicle allows it) to comprehend fully the task before you (other than that come down and inspect the position of your car and the needed maneuver), but once you start the actual task of reversing get used to your side mirrors knowing that in almost all other classes of vehicles you'll drive (trucks, buses etc) the rear view is obscured.

chukux2:
Looking back through the rear windscreen is the erroneous way most people learn to reverse when they start driving (same with solely monitoring cars behind you with your rear view mirror). But when I graduated to driving pick up trucks (with a cabin at the back obscuring the rear view) at my former job I learnt to make proper use of my side mirrors for reversing and also for monitoring traffic behind me. It's ok to look through the back (if your vehicle allows it) to comprehend fully the task before you (other than that come down and inspect the position of your car and the needed maneuver), but once you start the actual task of reversing get used to your side mirrors knowing that in almost all other classes of vehicles you'll drive (trucks, buses etc) the rear view is obscured.

If you are driving a 2005-2010 toyota avalon and a picanto is parked at the back and anoda car in front, if you rely only on your side mirrors, you are bound to touch that picanto if you intend to enter the space with reverse cause at a time, one mirror isn't focused on the object (picanto) and the other mirror is only focused on the side view and not front view of the vehicle behind so basically using only the side mirrors to reverse is risky in non object free environment. I drive a sienna and I always look back raising my body and I always reverse on a curved road with pedestrians on both sides and cars parked exremely close the driver side rear view mirror helps adjust my hand to the road and I often get it slamed or even stucked to cars the passenger side helps me view the culvert and traders who refuse to leave the road while raising myself and looking back helps me forestall hitting hidden objects and seeing the road b4 plunging into it

nurey:


If you are driving a 2005-2010 toyota avalon and a picanto is parked at the back and anoda car in front, if you rely only on your side mirrors, you are bound to touch that picanto if you intend to enter the space with reverse cause at a time, one mirror isn't focused on the object (picanto) and the other mirror is only focused on the side view and not front view of the vehicle behind so basically using only the side mirrors to reverse is risky in non object free environment. I drive a sienna and I always look back raising my body and I always reverse on a curved road with pedestrians on both sides and cars parked exremely close the driver side rear view mirror helps adjust my hand to the road and I often get it slamed or even stucked to cars the passenger side helps me view the culvert and traders who refuse to leave the road while raising myself and looking back helps me forestall hitting hidden objects and seeing the road b4 plunging into it

Bro it's like this. For best practice, your side mirrors should be your MAJOR source of vision, but if the car you're driving allows you vision through your rear windscreen you may also look back... IF NEED BE.

Pay attention to the words in capital. Cheers!

nurey:


If you are driving a 2005-2010 toyota avalon and a picanto is parked at the back and anoda car in front, if you rely only on your side mirrors, you are bound to touch that picanto if you intend to enter the space with reverse cause at a time, one mirror isn't focused on the object (picanto) and the other mirror is only focused on the side view and not front view of the vehicle behind so basically using only the side mirrors to reverse is risky in non object free environment. I drive a sienna and I always look back raising my body and I always reverse on a curved road with pedestrians on both sides and cars parked exremely close the driver side rear view mirror helps adjust my hand to the road and I often get it slamed or even stucked to cars the passenger side helps me view the culvert and traders who refuse to leave the road while raising myself and looking back helps me forestall hitting hidden objects and seeing the road b4 plunging into it

An astute driver will first look around his vehicle before moving it and he will also have situational awareness.