Police’s advice as ‘most drivers park wrong’ in bays
A road safety expert has claimed that the majority of Brits are parking “all wrong” when it comes to slotting into bays in supermarket car parks.
Police Sergeant Owen Messenger, in collaboration with George’s Car Media on TikTok, has outlined the correct technique for parking. Venturing into a Tesco car park in his vehicle, Sgt Messenger explained: “There are some people that reverse into the bays, but there are also quite a lot of people who are ‘nosing’.”
This method involves driving forward into a parking space and can cause issues for other drivers, according to the expert.
Sgt Messenger further clarified: “When you are trying to get out, if you are nosed in and are reversing out into the traffic, then it is very difficult to see vehicles and people.”
Instead, the expert suggests it is “far easier” to drive forwards out of a bay, as he demonstrated in a video.
“You’ve got to balance up the convenience of getting your shopping in the boot alongside what is safer and what is easier for actually driving your car,” Sgt Messenger added.
After successfully reversing into a space in the Tesco car park, he highlighted: “Now, when we come out we can see everything that is going on around us and there’s far less chance of us running anyone over.”
Sgt Messenger, who operates in Devon and Cornwall, concluded by highlighting another potential hazard: “If we had been reversing out, a small child probably would have been out of our view – because if we’re looking at the back of our car they may have been under the window level.”
The guidance seemed to split motorists, however.
Writing in response, one TikTok user supported Sgt Messenger: “Much easier to reverse park than to drive into a tight space. The parking bays at Tesco are now bigger so you can get your shopping in no problem.”
Another remarked: “Reversing in you can see a bollard if you have a camera, but edging out you don’t have the back up of a 180 degree camera warning you. Prefer to reverse in as it is a quicker escape when the car park is busy.”
Meanwhile, a third person pointed out: “A lot of companies require you to reverse park in their staff car parks, like warehouses because it reduces the chances massively of causing an accident upon leaving.”
Elsewhere though, one person who challenged the expert declared: “I normally think your videos are quite good and informative, however you’ve really not thought this one through. Most people need to access the boot as most people are doing a big shop.”
A second contributor argued: “I disagree, I do the opposite. If you look and reverse slowly, there’s no issue, you hold up traffic reversing into a space because it’s narrow. Also how do you get your shopping in the boot.”
Whilst another TikTok user admitted: “I just think a lot of people can’t actually reverse and don’t feel confident doing it so they just drive into their space.”
