Ah, yes, it’s that familiar subject again, that of Malaysian motorists’ parking behaviour. Not for the first time has someone seen fit to comment on how poorly we sometimes go about our business of placing our vehicles in a designated space, but a story on The Star Metro on social media today picks a bone with why Malaysians seemingly have a love affair with wanting to reverse park into perpendicular lots, being a highly inconsiderate lot as a result of that choice.
The writer of said story states that he’s never been in a place where people reverse park more than Malaysian drivers (er, Singapore?), and that this steadfast approach to reverse parking – especially in crowded areas such as shopping complexes – makes for serious traffic flow problems, because many a time those attempting the maneouvre take too long to place their car inside the spot. There are salient points to the argument, but here’s a counterpoint view.
We’re not going to defend driving ability, or lack thereof, because it does vary from driver to driver, as is the time taken sometimes for a driver to park a vehicle. Yes, it does mean waiting, but most motorists manage the reverse-in perpendicular parking move efficiently, and one can argue that the same can be said about waiting with a slowpoke nose-in vehicle backing out of a parking lot.
If you want to look at it in equal terms, both approaches take as much time to execute – a person who makes an 83-point turn reverse parking move will undoubtedly take as much time to go in forward. And imagine that chap reversing out later – it works out to taking your pick of obstruction now, or later. In the end, it really depends on the individual, especially with regards to time taken.
What we will hold fast to is the habit of backing up into a parking lot, because it offers a safer – and more efficient – approach. There are quite a number of reasons as to why so. For one, unless a car has a reverse camera, a driver has a limited visual scope when attempting to back out of a perpendicular parking lot, resulting very much in a guessing game.
If the car is facing out, it provides a far wider field of vision, making it easier to pull out of the space, with a better means to observe any oncoming vehicles.
Reverse parking a car also means you’re doing it while your mind is alert. By the time you do get back to the vehicle, it could be hours later, and attention levels may be low, be it from fatigue or having the mind being preoccupied by other matters.
We’ve seen enough incidents where drivers have been blissfully unaware as they back out of a parking lot, some rather quickly, leading to near misses with cars moving along in the stream. Many a time, something seems to switch off mentally in drivers making that backing out act, either from distraction or in the belief that oncoming traffic will see and thus accommodate them. Entertaining? Not quite.
Reverse parking also addresses other concerns in better fashion. Say your car breaks down, or you’ve left your lights on and the battery is well and truly flat – a nose-out approach means its easier to get to grips with the engine bay and a jump-start exercise.
Also, a front facing vehicle (especially in a perpendicular lot with a wall at the back) offers the driver a forward, wider field of vision, making for a safer perspective as well as providing the means for a quicker exit in an emergency situation.
We’d all rather be doing something than sitting endlessly in our cars waiting for someone to park, but either way, it ends up usually taking the same amount of time placing it in head-in or face-out, with the obstruction merely a case of now or later. That being the case, we always believe you should make it a habit of placing the vehicle facing out.
Should motorists place their cars facing in or out in perpendicular parking lots? Share your views and opinions on the matter with us in the comments section.
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Hear, hear!
Bodoh topic. Malaysians reverse park because got so many attackers and snatch thieves. We want to be sure when we get out of the car nobody is waiting. Even when I go home I reverse park because I have been attacked by motor robber before when I front park.
This boils down to enforcement and that our PDRM is fast asleep. Now motor robbers and motor rapists are everywhere. They are no more scared. They openly do it.
They know also, if by some freak chance they get caught, they can “settle” the matter in the balai and be back to robbing the next day. This is why there is so many moto robbers and moto snatch thieves.
So, the root cause of people reverse parking is because of moto robbers and moto rapist. And the root cause of why it is so rampant in our country is because these crooks are so confident of settling the matter in the balai.
This does not make sense. How does parking orientation make a difference? Snatch thieves can attack from any direction. Even if reverse parking reduces the risk, snatch thieves can also attack when you leave.
Never use sense against the nonsense. U will lose.
Yes you are absolutely right
When the attacker come, can cabut fast. That what he mean. Right or wrong, it depend.
Bollocks. You are saying every single case happened because of poor policing? You want to place an officer at every corner of every street then? Nanti kata police state pulak…
When seconds count, first responders are always minutes away, remember that. Its true here as it is anywhere on the planet.
Stop bitching and start acting on it. Dont let yourself be a victim. Our safety lies in our hands la brader. In stead of expecting safety and security to be handed to you on a silver plate, we should be vigilant in every day activities.
What la you ni? Your two nuts also want others to look after is it?
This guy obviously hasn’t travelled enough to know what feeling safe is like in other countries. His mentality is that we should just accept the level of safety. If you stay in landed property, you need to get window grills, and your car must be tinted with security film because that’s how we should be vigilant.
Well yes, your comment does make sense, but it doesn’t hurt to be polite as well ? Admin, I propose that we filter words like, …..bodoh, stupid, 4ssh0ll, f2ck …and such.
There’s always gonna be THAT guy who politicise everything
I for one think, if you reverse park into the house, your house and you will be more open to a robbery attempt be it day or night.
No offence meant to the writer of the initial comment above.
Just my two cents.
If your car is locked then why worry
If you have the money to purchase supercondo, please park your cars properly into your own boxes; stopping eating into other people’s parking spaces.
i always reverse parking, its the most safest option to drive. i think gov also encourage to reverse parking.
– Faiz Roslan CEng
R U sure the botak encourage reverse parking?
I have seen a lady(especially) reverse 5 times until she gets the correct position,but in the process knocks off the side mirror of the adjacent car.
If u r NOT EXPERT…forget about reverse parking.
Jumpstarting a flat battery n having a clear view,the only benefits I can comprehend for reverse parking.
Goes to show, u din read the article above on why reverse in parking is better option. Also a lot of kompenis make it a policy to reverse park so that owners can drive them out quickly during emergencies., like fire.
In the event of fire, please leave all your personal belongings behind amd head for the emergency exit. Meet at the designated assembly point. If any company wants you to remove your car during a fire, the policy seriously needs to reviewed… no car is worth more than a life.
Practice make perfect.. if u didnt give a chance to let them try reverse park.. how come they will become an expert..
Kenapa engineer suka pakai baju lengan pendek kotak-kotak dalam poket ada pen dan pakai seluar khaki?
– Abang Alza DipSc BEng MEng CEng PhD IMechE ABCD
Becoz to us engineers, its function over form during working. And personally i prefer wearing jeans instead of khaki. Its more hardwearing and tears n rips r not so obvious compared to on khakis.
Ha ha ha john, i gotta give it 2 U man.
“Becoz to us engineers”. Are U an Ir ? If U r, U should be working like me going out 2 inspect/signed off to certify work done according to Method of Statement.
Oops, U are signing/commenting here 2 get your $$$ as an “Ir” isit !? Gotta go now 2 inspect work done by contractor now. See U later & happy commenting j.
Between my reply and ur reply, we can see who is educated and who is not.
Cheers
dunno whether to do reverse parking or not, another way is to just double park (the malaysian way).
Nope. MY pipu has pioneered the mythical art of triple parking.
that’s so yesterday, now people park their car by blocking empty parking, longer car, block more space.
some block the entrance of public place such as public park, shopping mall, etc..
Ya. Park on pedestrian crossing in the mall carpark pun ada. Wallawei!
the fella have no idea about the benefit of reverse park, i doubt he can drive well himself
That guy is a pokemon trainer, what can we expect?
Its indeed true..
There’s another good reason for reverse parking; you can reply on the reverse sensors (provided your car is equipped with them) to ensure you do not hit something whereas if you forward park, you might accidentally hit the wall/kerb
Oooo very true. The main reason why i like reverse parking.
Lol Reverse parking is actually more easier for me. I really weak at front parking unless there are front sensors installed.
Obviously the writer who travelled the world never went to Japan. 95% of Japanese population reverse park their car, unless stated otherwise.
No need go Japan la…. Singaporean have been practising reverse parking for a while now…
When I was working for a Japanese company here, all cars MUST be parked reverse inside the factory premises. If there is an emergency, leaving is easier.
The author and the paper that published this are both idiots.
Its indeed true..
Singapore already done it many years ago.. Why Malaysia always late in everything?
Ko ni baca ke tak. Pemalas
Bashers mana ada baca, bro!
Wow…so late are you. Its been practised fo many2 year la
Thank you! My thoughts exactly. I read The Star article this morning, and hey, is the author on that time of the month again? Heh.
You should go Singapore and see how they reverse park.
There is nothing wrong with reverse parking…u go Singapore there is more than 90% are reversed parking especially those big MPV need reversed parking. The only problem is malaysian drivers attitudes and mentally got problems.
Actually the people that dont like reverse park have bad car’s orientation..
Dear Sir, Have you been to Singapore? I personally think there are more Singaporean drivers reverse park than Malaysian drivers.
The reverse parking preferred because Malaysian love to double park. It will be forever (if lucky) to pull out your car if you park facing in and there is inconsiderate car double park at the back of your car in opposite park.
Agreed, this is the main reason why i reverse parked my car too..
I love reverse parking. It’s much easier to reverse park than a forward parking because the car has a reverse sensors and 3 rear view mirrors. I can place the side mirrors about downward to make sure I’m inside the box.
For pickup trucks its easier to reverse park unless the parking lane is big enough. Otherwise, it will most likely be senget n will take atleast 2 or 3 tries to make it straight. Some parking lanes arent big enough to make it on the 1st turn.
I agree 110% with reverse parking rather than front-in.
At my workplace, it is mandatory for cars to be reverse parked for safety reasons ie. easier to tow/drive out during emergencies and security reasons ie. easier for Security to identify authorized vehicles from the stickers.
i agree with you
I was thought to reverse park when Iearned driving many decades ago. I should think it’s still the same now? Honestly, reverse parking is easier. You use rear wheels to pivot and front wheels steer the car into slot (akin to having 4 wheel steering). A front parker has to pivot and steer with the same wheels, reducing maneuverability.
Pivot? Steer? Those terms are too advanced for people who can’t reverse park. Please use lay-laymen(women) terms
Say what he want, I always reverse into a parking spot as it is easier for me to do so. Not to mention the easy exit later on.
Its true.. when im a beginner i dont know how to reverse park.. i feel so hard.. but after i practise many time i get the car’s orientation.. and i feel reverse parking is much more easier than 83 point park..
I think majority of paultan’s reader use reverse parking, because majority of us are “car guy”.
The “non-car guy/lady” will not be here and will continue to do whatever ease them alone. Not being considerate to others.
Erm im a lady driver and i love to reverse park too. Much more easier for me
I beg to differ. I am a lady driver and i reverse park EVERY time.
pfffttt the ego has spoken. Macam la ppl like you are considerate to others. If back to basic, how many of you even uses your signal light?
As a man, I guarantee you that guys who make sexist statements like this are the ones who cut lanes without signal, tailgate, flash lights, speed just to annoy everyone on the road, overtake on left lane, modify the car with heavy plastic bits and loud muffler etc etc. The worse drivers are male, look at your own driving habits.
Heheheh…..macam betul je…im a lady driver, i love to reverse parking…
Sorry if some of you felt my opinion is sexist.
But my intention is not being sexist at all. It is just my personal observation throughout my 20 years experience of driving.
I never said ALL lady driver is bad, and not ALL man driver are good driver.
Maybe the word “car guy” i put there made you jumped to the sexist conclusion right? It is my personal observation that MAJORITY of paultan’s reader are car guy. Maybe I am wrong? I’m sorry.
And I also put there “non-car guy” you see the word guy is also there?
And for Ollie, nope, I never do that. Even my best friend & families called me “skema/nerdy” for giving signal for every turn, wear seatbelt even for short distance. Now weren’t u being sexist ie making general statement yourself?
In general let’s avoid making any sexist statements. But in a male-dominated society, it is useful for males to call out other males on sexism. If female does it, they would say she’s defensive and ignore it. But I’ll stand by my statement 100%, in 12 years of driving experience, Malaysian males are the worse drivers. Who you think causes all the bus, lorry, motorcycle, car crashes? Bus lorry and motorcycle are mostly driven by males. Who tailgates, flashes their lights at you, runs red lights, ignores speed limits? If you say males are not the majority, you’re in denial. Evidence provided.
I like how drivers in Singapore use hazard lights (double signal) when they reverse park. I understood the intention the moment I saw a car in front of me doing that in Singapore.
But… I tried it several times in Malaysia and people just thought I was stopping there to double park, with no intention to park at the empty spot after the car exited even though I was already on reverse.
What gives?? Isn’t it common sense?
Hazard ketika reverse park bukan budaya kita.
Neither hazard after merging lane to thank driver for givinng way, though I’ve seen it once here. The driver looks Japanese, drives Honda, must be Japanese.
I live in JB. I absolutely hate this ridiculous SG culture of switching hazards when parking the car. I don’t care what their syllabus is in SG, in MY, hazards are to indicate car is STATIONARY.
As if it is not annoying enough to see SG drivers switch on hazard lights while parking in JB, some moronic johor drivers are doing the same thing now. Oi, dont learn everything from kiasu people can?
true on hazard light , it mean for stationary. but i still agree with singaporean way. it mean the driver want to park in the parking slot.
side signal not mean to use for stop but it mean to use when you going turn to left or right when the car is movement or at junction.
AirAsia, Now everyone can fly
Malaysia, Not everyone can park
Reverse parking is also good during emergency. If you go to oil and gas factory, you will be required to Park your car face out or reverse Park. I would rather reverse Park when I arrive at a place or my home so that I can get out easily.
huh seriously, i almost never reverse parking
Same with me.
The only time I do reverse parking is when I do parallel parking, or if it’s mandatory to reverse parking.
Other then that, it’s front-in all the way for me.
He just wants publicity…i prefer park beside cars that are reversed parked as the chances are higher for your cars dented by those tat front park coz when reversing out in tight places or cars parked behind really easy accidently dent the car parked beside
aiyyaaa…that guy don’t know HSE laa….HSE always prefer reverse packing…easier and faster during emergency…aiyaaa…go see Oil & Gas plant laaa…all park reverse maaa
What HSE.. can you tell me..
Health Safety & Environment
Reverse park is just easier especially the spot is on the left side of you. The angle is too narrow to go in the first time unless you drive into the opposite lane to get more space for the turn in. Side parking is even harder if you don’t reverse park, unless is an Axia
As a driver, safety of yourself and the other road users are paramount. Also for those involved in Oil & Gas Industry or an industry where safety is critical, reverse parking is the required way to park. It time of crisis, the reversed parking is the fastest and secure way to exit any crisis situation.
I do hope Malaysian will continue to carryout the practice this. Maybe we need to polish on our parking skills.
Submit this to The Star too please. The guai lou was obviously talking rubbish. What he really meant was “get out of my way, go bother someone else when you reverse later”.
If everyone is forced to reverse park, we will not have any problems with bad parking.
I always reverse parking when going into a parking space between cars or between a car and a wall. The side mirrors and the reverse sensors (plus reverse camera) make it easier than going in nose first. But should there be ample parking spaces, I often go in nose first…its quicker.
Straight in parking faster lah, 8:58am arrive parking, 1 minute run up the stairs, 9.00am sharp into the office. Reverse parking got advantage that u will always makesure the front wheel aligned straight that will prolong your front suspensions lifetime. But only for longtime parking at least 2 hours lah. If U park for 10minutes tapau chicken rice where got people slow slow reverse parking nicely one??
This is the selfish mentality why so many peoples double parking just thinking they are very fast by blocking other people’s car. Thumb down.
I reverse park faster than front in.
front in when got cars following me. back in when no cars following me. my convenience should not be at the inconvenience of others.
Once i nearly got summon for reverse parking. After that i realised that was for reserve parking.
you learn reverse parking during driving school right? It’s compulsory subject to pass. So pls USE IT!!
Vehicle should have reverse camera nowadays
Clearly the newspaper article writer is stupid. nuff said.
My car (Sonata) for some reason has a very long front, and shorter rear (I think most D-segment cars are similarly designed). It’s difficult for me to park head first into a perpendicular lot; especially those in shopping malls where driving maneuver width is just limited. I have more access into making turn adjustment while on reverse compared to going forward
That’s not the only benefit of reverse parking.
With forward parking, you need to acquired a larger angle for turning (especially for cars with large turning radius). For reverse parking, it is easier to pull the car perpendicular to the road since the tyres are in front.
Actually the problem that causes traffic jam in shopping center car park is people taking too long to come out from their parking lots:
1. Open boot
2. Load shopping bags
3. Open door and enters
4. Adjust mirrors checks lipstick (girls)/ hair (guys).
5. Charges mobile phone
6. Plays Pokémon/ whatsapp, etc.
7. Starts engine
8. Adjust seatbelts
9. Adjust seats (why would anyone move their seating position since parking)
10 Drives away very very slowly.
Yes. Agree. It take even longer when those driver sees other driver is waiting to park after them.
I’m type of pipu who donno how to reverse parking..huhu
Its actually quite easy if got objects at right and left.
1) Approach the space close by the road side.
2) When half ur car is past the box, swing the car to the other side of the road until 40~20 degrees from perpendicular to the box.
3) Reverse in slowly and use ur side mirrors to gauge the distance from left and right objects.
4) Once clear both sides, ur butt shud be safe within the box. So go forward a bit and reverse ur car again slowly to straighten, using ur side mirrors to judge equal distance between left and right objects.
5) When reversing straight in, use rear view mirror, rear camera and reverse sensors. Oso see the 3rd brake light reflected on the behind objects like walls.
6) If ur car not too long, u can oso try to reverse until ur side mirrors about same level to the cars left or right.
Try it a few times at a non-hectic parking lots for practise.
Actually the people who doesnt like the reverse parking is not tahan sabar punya orang… kan?
Nop, not apply to everyone.. like me simply donno how to park reserved. But i do know reserve park for sideway parking.
Try my way and practise.
To the person who wrote about this, whether I want to reverse park, front park or side park, as long as I don’t double park, simply park or illegally park, I believe its none of your parking business :D pun intended!
“Should motorists park their car facing in or out” both wrong,since we ar the motorists,we park motocycle not car..
For personal security reasons. No blind spots. It gives you good visibility when getting in and getting out of your car. It becomes very difficult for someone to get up close to you without you seeing. Especially when reversing into the drive way of your home.
Most MNCs encourage reverse parking in fact many of them require you to park in this manner else you have to park outside of their premises if you fail to do so. When you are parking your car you will take time to reverse in but say if there’s an emergency and you dash to your car, who is going to get out first? The nose in fella or the arse in fella? As for the article writer in The Star I guess that fella has not ventured out of Malaysia at all. Really true to the meaning ‘katak di bawah tempurung’.
I’d prefer reverse parking. Easier to get out in case of emergency
Agree with all the reasons above PLUS it makes for getting out of your parking space a lot easier too when people double park or park illegally at non-designated areas (commonly in shopping malls).
Wow…who’s the nitwit writer? dam…
Reverse park is always better. Aside from PT’s points, some drivers are seriously bad in parking face in or they are just lazy to care if their parked cars are too close to either side. With reverse park, the tendency lessens unless the driver is really just piss poor.
Go to any big corporate especially oil and gas, you are required to reverse park in case of emergency evacuation. Moreover, maneuvering out of your parking space is easier since you do not have to ‘twist’ your head around to look out for idiots who don’t give way to you.
Blame it on the local driving schools if you think Malaysians take too long to reverse park.
Writer ignorant… Did u know that it is mandatory to reverse parking in oil n gas plant here in malaysia and other parts of the world.. (safety related…fast and smooth evacuation in during emergency)
amarika tengah sibuk memperkukuhkan ekonomi and US dollar meanwhile malaysia masih jadikan reverse parking sebagai isu
Bukan malaysia tapi matsalleh lah, bodo
I think the author DL Philips likes to pick a point with m’sian drivers while conveniently turn a blind eye towards Singaporean drivers..so much for have been travelling around the world. Typical mat salleh, talks cock
In Singapore all are reverse parking and side parking and every carpark has a standard height curb as a stopper.
Lol at the star writer DL Phillips. If you actually click his name and see his article history, its filled with first world problems that are cringey to read. Probably some ‘writer’ that made it into star via daddy’s connections.
He is probably horrible at reverse parking… which happens to be the EASIEST parking method compared to others in a high density area as you can freely manipulate the direction of your car.
Typical Matt salleh, talks cock
No doubt that it is the drivers choice to reverse park – but some take longer because the driver relies too much on their two side view mirrors to do so and go forwards and backwards before they succeed. They should instead turn their body and their head to look behind while reversing as it is a more accurate and faster way to get into the parking lot.
The Star is really scraping the bottom of the barrel here if they have to put out an article like that by that Philips guy.
Safety and security aside, let’s just look at wheel geometry here, with driving skill aside.
To park properly (i.e., within the yellow box, straight and with amply space all around) coming in from the front, you have to go wide to cater for the angle. If you don’t have the kind of super-wide double-lane roads to straighten out, you’re gonna end up with the car at an angle, which just makes it harder for your neighbours to park. Worse, you have to back out a bit to straighten out, and that means reversing with a blind spot, hoping for a gap in oncoming traffic, and holding up people when doing so, especially with longer vehicles like SUVs and MPVs (gonna single out Alphards/Veilfires here…).
Basically: the car pivots around the fixed rear wheels, not the front steering wheels. It’s far far far more efficient to reverse park and work with that pivot, instead of compensating for it going front in, to get that desired dead-centre in the box kinda result. And now with the increased availability of reverse cameras, its getting so much easier to reverse park.
Bottom line is that no matter what, driving and parking anywhere will be frustrating. Not everyone is the same, there will always be different levels of competency, just like there are different levels of morons, and clearly this Philips guy takes the bottom rung.
Muchly better worded. Well said. (Grammar intentionally)
Further to the previous comment, I had a little think about this for a while.
His contention is that reverse parking holds up people behind him. Notwithstanding his white-man colonial-master world-domination agenda, he cannot simply suggest a failed system over one that many of the local population has endorsed. Simply this: the vast majority of drivers in this country do not care about the people behind, and the evidence is clear to see in how people dawdle on the fast lane on highways, how they cut in at the last moment before junctions and traffic lights, how they lane change and contribute to longer traffic jams so as to get one or two car lengths ahead, how they do not use turn indicators, how they double- or triple-park, and the list can go on and on and on. But this is indicative of a developing (Asian) nation, where people have places to go and no time to deal with how other people feel. That, or we’re simply too kiasu to care otherwise. I learned to drive in a different time and place, where the rules were adhered to and people were courteous. This doesn’t happen much here, and no amount of hollow articles in so hallowed and classy a newspaper as the Star will result in any change. Ultimately, you have to trust us to come up with machinations and ideas as to how to make the struggle of daily life more tolerable, and boy are we creative. The fact that we reverse park says this clearly – it works, and those who park straight in and leave their cars at a ridiculous angle will find that sometimes their new neighbour may not afford them the space to easily enter their vehicle, or perhaps leave a paint gift and a couple of dents as a reminder. It can happen the other way also: I recall parking properly in KLCC once, and as I walked away from the car I noticed an older lady in a red car looking at the vacant spot next to mine. Upon return, I see her car parked front in by my side, and she left the wheels turned. It was not until the next day I noticed the red streaks on my silver front right bumper where she had connected on the way in. Clearly she didn’t care, her car bore the scars of many battle dents, and mine was not cheap to fix. But that’s ok, I’ve long learned to go with the flow, and deep down I know that my fellow countrymen will happily find the path of least resistance when it comes down to sorting things out, but I will still use my indicator lights and line up instead of cutting queue and adhere to red traffic lights and sit in traffic instead of switching lanes unneccasarily because it’s my time and effort I choose to waste, and I won’t complain about it in a national newspaper like a little girl because I can’t hack the system. It satisfies me that I’m considerate on the road, and I’ve accepted that not everyone is going to share the same sentiment. So, Philips, man up and face the reality that you’re in the minority, because, well, if you tak suka, you know what to do….
Reverse parking in mandatory in multi national and oil and gas company !
It seems that this writer is so IGNORANT !
Also on power plant sites!
i don’t really mind people’s business, whatever parking method u want to use..
but i really can’t stand idiots going to market/supermarket knowing that they’re going to buy loads of things and still reversed park..
Actually the people who doesnt like the reverse parking is not tahan sabar punya orang… kan?
i don’t know..why ask me?
The operative word is PARKING. Drivers ultimately decide whether to reverse park or not since most cars are now equipped with reverse camera and sensors nevertheless use them wisely.
Anyone that thinks reverse parking is a problem is in fact part of the problem themselves – idiots!
It should be mandatory for JPJ driving test to include reverse parking for perpendicular lots too, not only side parking.
These days, for some reason, the rear of the cars are much higher than cars made in the 80’s and 90’s. 2 good examples are the Gen-2 and Persona. When you look at the rear mirror, you cannot even see kids at the back of your car. Satria Neo is even worse, if you have rear passenger, you see almost nothing at the back of the rear windscreen. You only depend on the side mirrors. What if the reverse sensor gone faulty ? You might bang a kid and kill him/her because you cannot see behind you.
Alot of parents dont control their kids running around in parking lot which is very dangerous. Prevention is better than cure, so reverse parking give you a much better view when you exit a parking lot.
If I go marketing or shopping I will park with the boot facing out. Makes loading stuff so much easier.
If you buy a lot of groceries.. indeed u need to park the boot facing out.. if not reverse parking is the best and more safety..
make this as a compulsory skill like ESD (kickoff at 2017).
Then all the new car need equip with reverse cam.
If you see people struggling when parking, just go out and offer to park for them. Lock your car during your heroic escapade, and don’t be a jerk.
Park anyway you want. Just stay in your own box. And please do not drive if you have difficulty to do something so simple. Stricter rules to getting your license perhaps? Seriously it’s embarrassing to see some people drive
Practice make perfect.. dont forget to tampal pelekat P.. so orang tak marah bila you belajar reverse park..
Facing in or out to me is personal preference. But i prefer facing out & after getting use to this it really freaks me when at times i have to park facing in. To me having a wider view is my reason to opt for reverse parking
I find it way easier to reverse park, by utilising the side mirrors and back mirror. So much easier to drive out as well, as i can look out for oncoming traffic. So it’s reverse park every time!!
Reverse parking really annoys me bacause some people take so long! I am also looking for a parking spot and now I have to wait for you to get your parking perfect, especially with these extremely big cars that everyone seems to love nowadays. And the time argument does not make sense…..I can back out of my parking spot much faster than you can back into it yours, limited vision and all. And I bet no one would mind waiting for me to back out since you can then take my spot!
I think you and the star write belong together
U assume people are waiting to take your spot. What about people who wants to pass by? Bang u reverse into that person’s car since U could not see it. Reverse parking is the most safer and more sensible.
u sound like a person a who cares for nothing at all and disregards any form of safety all. how many people here do u think who can’t do what u can? I bet u do the same when u want to poop; face in then reverse out when done.
btw, just wondering, without Google’s help, do u know what’s a jack?
As a new driver myself, I prefer to reverse park as it is easier for me. Imagine you need to drive out when there are tons of car jamming the road. I am scared that I bang into one if I front park.
I bet the Mat Salleh writer only do missionary position.
Reverse park for safety and quick exit
Also, in many places where space is restricted, such as the hospital car park, reverse parking allows one to get out more easily later.
My ex boss once said, when ur engine is facing outward, u get ur engine damage when someone hit u. If back is hit, u can still drive wor. I’ve been parking with my engine facing the outside still. L o L
reverse parking – i prefer this because it is much easier to drive out quicker and i can observe the traffic.
Guess …LP 700, front in or reverse park in which one easier ??
Neither. Valet style parking is easiest for LP700.
Those who have to reverse out from parking lot is more annoying, at least to me. But I conform. Period.
i think anthony lim and almost most of the commentators here might have missed the point of dl phillips article (which was also a bit of a tongue in cheek writing).
i dont think dl phillips was saying that reverse parking is “bad” compared to parking head first. his article isnt the “reverse parking vs head first parking” debate you are making it out to be.
instead, i think he was saying that when you execute reverse parking poorly, you make people wait, so the considerate thing to do would be to just go in head first.
personally, i prefer reverse parking and i face no trouble with it. but ive been doing it alot. other may not have. i do see many people struggle with it compared to head first parking. and yes, from my personal observation, poorly executed reverse parking does tend to slow down traffic in car parks. so even though i prefer reverse parking myself, i have to agree with dl phillips on those points. many malaysians, especially women (sorry if that sounds sexist), are terrible at it but they dont seem to care, abd they expect you to wait while they “learn”.
anthony lim is also correct in that reverse parking is a more efficient way to park as it allows you to leave easily. on a side note anthony, i dont think “salient” means what you think it means.
end of the day, its about being considerate. if you can reverse park without taking up other people’s time, by all means. but if you cant, then its best not to hold up traffic while you struggle to reverse park. and i think that was the point of dl phillips’ article, not “reverse parking is better than parking head first”.
its very simple, if you have not mastered reverse parking, and there is a queue of cars behind you, be considerate, and consider going in head first for now. and in your own time, learn how to reverse park properly so you can do it better next time so you can get the benefits of reverse parking and not inconvenience others.
well said! exactly the point! most malaysian commented here have low understanding power! i am a victim of so many compact perodua cars that tried reverse parking, why reverse park for such a tiny compact car and yet taking so much times to do it, especially ladies drivers, seriously hopelessly inconsiderate human kind!
Reverse park is easier for me as the rear wheel acts like pivot point and needs smaller turning radius to go in
Reverse parking is easier when we are parking to the left side into a tight spot. This avoids grazing the car on the left especially when the road is narrow.
For parking to the right, there is enough space to turn 90 degrees before entering the lot.
Reverse parking is one of the component in condusive working environment inspired by japanese working culture… i feel safer parking my car while having a clear frontview..
Car manufacturer should consider placing the engine on rear, just like older days Beetle and those Sports Car. This will be more convenient for people whom reverse parked their car at shopping-centre for monthly groceries…
What? Ignorance.”never been in a place where people reverse park more than Malaysian drivers”? You should come to japan where 99% of the drives reverse parking their vehicles. And they have good reason for it.
yep I can concur…seen this in several parts of Japan. pretty much everyone reverse parks
Never knew this could be a topic for discussion.
Usually just park head first in an open area with a lot of space. The only reason I would reverse park would be in a narrow street where ppl park here and there. With reverse parking in those sticky & narrow situation, its easier for me to get out later.
And sure reverse parking takes longer, ppl should learn some patience aiyo. But for those who always need to correct their position 2-3 times or more, really need to watch some videos on reverse parking (and parallel parking too).
Those videos simplify the ‘formula’ on how to reverse park with 1 maneuver , or 2 maneuver for parallel parking. What we always see is people who seldom reverse / parallel park, then when the times come for them to park, rely on their instinct with confidence a.k.a “bantai saja laaa”. Instinct without proper knowledge on how to do it correctly is useless weyy aiyo.
I cannot understand why the writer of the original article is just unable to resist the urge to impose their will and standards onto others.
I have been taught in advanced driving courses to reverse park to facilitate safe exit.
Many advance driving institute have always recommend reverse parking.
But why do we have to justify our practices. This guy needs to travel more and find that there are so many other countries that not only practices reverse parking but also requires reserve parking in specific district. He should be open to the norms and culture of others especially his host. If he can’t then, he should return to his native NZ and park amongst the sheep in the meadows.
The writer’s action in writing to the papers Is downright rude. His holier than thou attitude is sickening.
Agree to disagree right? He just wrote his opinion and we should think about it. While for army, police, and abang bomba should reverse parking their car it doesn’t mean we should emulate it.
1. A landed property, you reverse park the exhaust fume go directly inside our house and dirtied the wall.
2. You went to IKEA or other shopping complex then you reverse park. How you gonna filled all your bought stuff into the trunk if reverse park?
3. Reverse park consume more fuel than direct front park.
4. He got a point. 3 point turn become 83 point turn.
5. When side parking, the right way t park is reversing but most of us just go thru the lot front park right.
6. No matter reverse park or front park, it should be chosen according to the place, the area, the suitability.
7. Japanese policy of reverse park may relate to natural disaster prone geographically eg. tsunami, earthquake, typhoon.
8. Singaporean reverse park habit may come from the kiasuness. :-)
agree on ur own.
use ur head la. while its not necessarily the best way to park a car is reverse but u can park face in also la.
u go to supermarket, u park face in for ease to store ur purchases la.
u go to corporate buildings like Shell, adhere to their reverse parking policy la.
u go home, however u wanna park, up to u la. u want to show off your Merc, u reverse la. u dun bloody care n u hate exhaust fumes getting into ur tiny home, u park face in la.
don’t tell me u nvr reverse park before in ur life?? takkan lah u reverse thru a drive thru?
the point is that, why make it a big deal? reverse ka face in ka, just do it with considerate mind. u sucked at reverse park, then u park face in la so long u dun hold up the cars behind u.
simple, who’s driver can reverse park is gentleman, but who’s driver never past reverse park is PONDAN.. whos agree
Guys, BOMBA recommends we park this way. in case of emergency can get out of the building quickly. all other reasons are secondary!
When it is on fire, just left all your belongings including your car. Your life cannot be replaced but your car can.
Info for u. The reason is not to safe ur belongings. Its cuz cars parking so close is a fire & explosion hazard. So during fire, u shud remove it (if possible) so that BOMBA dun need to fight 2 fires: building & parking lot. Explosion fire is a lot more dangerous.
personally I always reverse-in and have never had to make more than 2 adjustment manouvres…90% of the time it’s a single manoeuvre and I’m parked. having a valid driver’s licence means you SHOULD be able to drive properly and park properly regardless of the orientation and not take a whole 45 minutes to park.
Although we all know with the ‘kopi licenses’ going around there are countless unqualified drivers on the road hence causing this phenomenon…if faced with real and strict driving tests I reckon a great deal of Malaysians wouldn’t be on the road today.
The other two annoying things are driving between lanes (seriously why can’t these people just pick a lane and drive on it) and cutting into the right lane to make a left turn (and vice versa) at a junction…if you’ve got poor estimation you shouldn’t even be driving.
i would do forward parking especially when there’s car following too close behind (which is another malaysian’s driver habit i belief ^^)
so is the same person who complained in the “newspaper” soon be complaining about how we should not have side parkings and have them all slanted 45 degrees so one can just go in head-on..
What’s the fuss over this reverse parking?
The time spent to reverse in = the time spent to reverse out.
It’s about the skill.
actually, time spent to reverse out is even longer because you can’t see cars coming and tend to hesitate.
Personally I prefer to reverse park for all the reasons mentioned by others above. But there is 1 place where you see the majority of cars parking head first – this is in the golf course. Reason: There is a big golf bag in the boot and it is far more difficult to get it in and out of the boot when you are reverse parked. And yes, the author of this article is dishing out a load of crap.
this is because Malaysian drivers lacks parking skills due to buying their way into driving.
1st: most drivers has problem going in by front if there are cars parked beside their spot, either they have to in-out multiple times or sratch the pillar/next car. Even if they manage to park the cars the car wouldn’t be straight.
2nd:most drivers have problems reversing their car out of their spot, even in standard parking with sufficent space, even with reverse cameras & sensors, they still can’t reverse out without help of a passerby.
So reverse in is the easy way out.
Real drivers will always go in Front first & exit with rear.
actually reversing in is recommended for best practice safety standards because it facilitates faster evacuation.
of course in a 3rd world nation safety standards is as relevant as luxembourg
actually, that’s not true…the recommended parking orientation is to reverse in and is practiced for safety in many countries wit a system (Japan, UK, and some other EU Nations for example)..
this is so that evacuation (if needed) will be a smoother process…of course not everyone follows it but it’s a recommendation..I guess the Japanese would be the most compliant in this sense.
Give priority to cars follow behind, let them pass first before reverse parking, then you can have own sweet time to do so.
Many times those driver wouldn’t care about that, then make queue even longer and causing jam in car park.
You wouldn’t go front in while parallel parking, why would you go front in while perpendicular parking? The only time you should ever go front in is if the parking lot is angled as such.
I wonder how they got their driving licence if they are having trouble to reverse park. Must be the members of the flying licence group.
Msians should not be driving in the first place due to their mental state and penchant for breaking every traffic law possible…
However, there is a remote possibility that drivers in Thailand, Philipines and India are worse…
I don’t agree with the article above. Most modern cars comes with front wheel drive. When the car is parked and the gears are are engaged in ‘Parking’ mode, only the front wheels are locked. If some tow truck guys wants to tow away the car, they just have to lift the exposed front wheels and tow away @ steal the car. I believe the hand brakes locks the front wheels as well. Parking cars with the front wheel exposed in a open area is asking for trouble in humble opinion.
My reasons for reverse park…? Bcoz my head-in parking skill sucks…
With reverse parking method, I can align the parking line with my car body… so my car will b properly park in the parking box…
Masuk depan ka masuk belakang ka pun mau bikin issue???? I really don’t understand this at all. Yang penting jangan langgar keta org bila masuk belakang maupun masuk depan OK.
reverse parking also wrong ka?? why make it such an issue?! really brainless!
I am from India, don’t know the specific context in your country. Just some general observations. Reverse parking a car needs more experience/expertise owing to the limited amount of space while getting in. Straight parking is less risky to other vehicles. In India, it is generally car showrooms or some other such fancy place that insist on reverse parking merely to improve the elevation. Reverse parking is not convenient for locations like office, stores etc., because you have some luggage, laptop bag, files, groceries etc., that must be stowed away in the boot first. And, driving away quickly in case of personal emergency is possible, but not when there is an emergency announced in the premises , then one has to take the fire exit and go to the assembly spot – fail safe is important and people need to safe themselves and not their personal or official property.
Reverse parking is advisable in terms of emergency and safety. I am working in an industrial area, where we are encouraged to reverse park, easier to go out in case of emergency. It gives better view towards the traffic.
However, I found someone drivers are careless. When they couldn’t reverse park their car perfectly, they tend to move out from the parking box to adjust. Some drivers are careless and not aware of other cars passing by.
In my case, I saw a lady driver came out suddenly from her parking box to adjust her parking, which I can say it’s careless because wasn’t looking at the road.
Mana2 cara pun ok. Yang penting masuk petak betul2 tanpa ganggu petak lain. Ramai juga pemandu “makan” petak lain tanpa rasa bersalah. Hal ini pada saya lebih serius berbanding gaya parkir hadapan atau belakang.
It is a must to reverse park in Japan !! If you go head in those car park attendants will blow their whistles hard and loud and ask you to reverse park in as it is easier to leave the parking and not cause jams…..
In my construction sites, the Safety Dept instruct the security personnel to direct all cars to be parked head facing front i.e. reversed parking. There are Safety & Security reasons for this. If U wanna know more, kena lah belajar. Jgn argue for the sake of shooting saliva or punching the keyboard on your computer ala keyboard-warriorring. Salam Selamat!
safety standard practice world wide
i thought malaysians are one of the world’s worst when it comes to a lack of people who try to reverse park, so many lazy flers i see all just drive in the parking, and failing to do so the first time try again many times, taking just as much time if not much more than a good reverse parking
Reverse park is easier since all cars are front wheel steering. Unless you drive a forklift.
I always find it hard to judge the distance of the wall when I park face in resulting from minor accidents. Reverse parking helps me see the back with my camera, thus its safer. I also reverse park at home
Driving lessons only teach reverse parking. We didn’t learn forward parking. Just doing what we know
Reverse parking is convenient but make it easier for a car thief to drive it away faster and easier