Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hi brain Stuff. Lorn vog obam here with a classic episode from our former host, Christian Sagar. Driving and parking are activities that bring out opinions in many people. But does science have anything to say about the best practices for parking? Christian has the answer, Hey, brain Stuff, Christian Sagar here. Whether it's cooking an egg, skinning a cat, or building an underground bunker to prepare for end times, there is usually
more than one way to do most things. When it comes to driving a car. For example, motorists tend to have some wildly varying ideas about how to best get from point A to point B. That's not to mention timeless driving debates over how to occupy the far left lane on a highway, when to turn on your lights, or if you should pull over for a funeral procession. Then there's the question of what to do when you
want to stop driving and leave your car somewhere. Many motorists are united in their strict aversion to parallel parking, but how to navigate other spots is still a source of some debate. Is it better to turn headfirst into a parking space, or to take the time to park backed in facing out, in what some refer to as battle parking. Buckle up for the answer. For both safety and efficiency purposes, the experts say it is usually best
to back into a parking space. That's because having a wide field of vision is more important when you're pulling out of a parking space than it is when you're pulling in. Katherine Peterman, an architect who has helped design parking lots across the United States, told us that when you back in, it's into a defined space where people aren't likely to be, but when you pull out of
a parking space, you're pulling into traffic and possibly into pedestrians. Sure, technological advances like rear side cameras in those sensors that make beeping noises when you get too close to a person or another car, they can help make backing out easier, but the effect those cameras have had on reducing accidents
has been gradual at best. Peterman and Vanessa Soulsby, a spokesperson for the International Parking Institute, say that it's because backing out is still not as easy as driving out head first, and both acknowledge that backing into a parking space is often easier said than done. New or inexperienced drivers may feel uncomfortable trying to negotiate a prime space backwards. The rest of us may simply feel pressure or you know, hear the shrieking horns from traffic as it piles up
during the process. As backing in can take a few more seconds than pulling in front fender first. That's why Peterman recommends that drivers look for spots where the space in front of you is also open so you can pull through. But convincing folks to back that thing up
is going to take some time. That's especially true as smartphones, smart dashboards, and other technological advances within cars compete for driver's time and attention, and while the experts may say it's the way to go, not everyone is so quick to adopt the practice. Today's episode was written by Chris Opper and produced by Dylan Fagan and Tyler Clang. For more and listen lots of other topics, visit how stuff works dot com. Brain Stuff is production of iHeart Radio.
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