Safety Moment: Reverse Parking
Added 28 Feb 2022 in Social and Community
Engenda Group have long had a policy that everyone parking on the premises should reverse park. But why do we do this?
Safety Moment with Rick Brady
Remember: “REVERSE”
Engenda Group, along with many client sites, have long had a policy that everyone parking on the premises should reverse park.
👂 Why do we reverse park?
The simple answer is “Safety”. How employees park when they arrive at work can affect their safety behaviour throughout the workday. It naturally triggers thoughts of why it is necessary, and anything that gets employees to think about safe behaviour is a good thing.
Reverse parking gives the driver a smaller field of vision and requires more concentration. As such, it makes sense to do this in the morning, when employees are at their freshest.
It also helps in an emergency. Any emergency situation can result in a degree of panic, and if the need to evacuate arises, it is much quicker to just climb into your vehicle and drive straight out.
There are practical implications as well. Being mechanical devices, cars are subject to breakdowns from time to time. A common cause of breakdowns is a flat battery. It is much easier to get a jump start if reverse parked.
Remember “REVERSE”
R - Reversing into a parking space is generally much safer than reversing out into a potentially busy area. On leaving it means that you can simply drive straight out of the bay, giving you the best visibility of oncoming traffic. When reversing out of a space, your observation tends to be limited, especially if larger vehicles are beside you.
E - Exercise Caution from the start and you immediately reduce the risks associated with parking and reversing. Take your time before you park. Pause to consider how to simplify your manoeuvring rather than parking in the first available space.
V - Verify blind spots around you – All cars have blind spots, and they differ from one make and model to another. Identify where the blind spots on your vehicle are located and then check them, whenever appropriate, when parking.
E - Ensure accessibility by parking your vehicle in the centre of a parking bay. By doing so, you ensure that your vehicle is accessible while also giving neighbouring cars plenty of space. This reduces the likelihood of either car getting scratched or scraped.
R - Remember: mirror, signal, manoeuvre – It might be years since you passed your driving test, but the message remains the same: use your mirrors before signalling and finally manoeuvring into the parking space. Watch out for other cars and pedestrians.
S - SLOW – If you take your time while manoeuvring your car into the parking bay it helps to ensure that you remain in full control throughout the process.
E - Evaluate the situation – It’s up to you to check that the parking bay can accommodate your car, to decide whether reversing is the safest option on that occasion and that it’s safe to manoeuvre your vehicle into place.
