1 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff from how Stuff Works, Hey, brain 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: Stuff Christian Sager here. Whether it's cooking an egg, skinning 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: a cat, or building an underground bunker to prepare for 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,319 Speaker 1: end times, there is usually more than one way to 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: do most things. When it comes to driving a car. 6 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: For example, motorists tend to have some wildly varying ideas 7 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: about how to best get from point A to point B. 8 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: That's not to mention timeless driving debates over how to 9 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: occupy the far left lane on a highway, when to 10 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: turn on your lights, or if you should pull over 11 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: for a funeral procession. Then there's the question of what 12 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: to do when you want to stop driving and leave 13 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: your car somewhere. Many motorists are united in their strict 14 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: aversion to parallel parking, but how to navigate other spots 15 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: is still a source of some debate. Is it better 16 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: to turn headfirst into a parking space or to take 17 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: the time to park backed in facing out in what 18 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 1: some refer to as battle parking. Buckle up for the answer. 19 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: For both safety and efficiency purposes, the experts say it 20 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: is usually best to back into a parking space. That's 21 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,199 Speaker 1: because having a wide field of vision is more important 22 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: when you're pulling out of a parking space than it 23 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: is when you're pulling in. Katherine Peterman, an architect who 24 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 1: has helped design parking lots across the United States, told 25 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 1: us that when you back in, it's into a defined 26 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: space where people aren't likely to be, but when you 27 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: pull out of a parking space, you're pulling into traffic 28 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: and possibly into pedestrians. Sure, technological advances like rear side 29 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: cameras and those sensors that make beeping noises when you 30 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: get too close to a person or another car, they 31 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: can help make backing out easier, but the effect those 32 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: cameras have had on reducing accidents has been gradual at best. 33 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: Peterman and Vanessa so Lisby, a spokesperson for the International 34 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: Parking Institute, say that it's because backing out is still 35 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: not as easy as driving out head first, and both 36 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: acknowledge that backing into a parking space is often easier 37 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: said than done. New or inexperienced drivers may feel uncomfortable 38 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: trying to negotiate a prime space backwards. The rest of 39 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: us may simply feel pressure or you know, hear the 40 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: shrieking horns from traffic as it piles up during the process, 41 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: as backing in can take a few more seconds than 42 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: pulling in front fender first. That's why Peterman recommends that 43 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: drivers look for spots where the space in front of 44 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: you is also open, so you can pull through. But 45 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 1: convincing folks to back that thing up is going to 46 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: take some time. That's especially true as smartphones, smart dashboards, 47 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: and other technological advances within cars compete for drivers time 48 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: and attention, and while the experts may say it's the 49 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 1: way to go, not everyone is so quick to adopt 50 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: the practice. Today's episode was written by Chris Opfer, produced 51 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: by Tristan McNeil, and For more on this and other topics, 52 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: please visit us at how stuff works dot com.