Some reversing skills Vietnamese drivers need to know

When reversing or maneuvering in tight spaces, the skill of turning the steering wheel with one hand is essential.

Reversing is a journey that takes time, practice and experience. The principle of reversing is to determine the body of the car, the direction the car will go, the position to stop and park. Reversing is the opposite of moving forward, the guide wheel is on top, the driver must look through the mirror and/or turn his head over his shoulder, the space covered is limited, there are more blind spots, so reverse slowly, observe carefully, concentrate... is the first lesson.

With a car equipped with sensors, the rear camera will greatly support the driver when reversing. Older cars are not equipped with the above utilities, requiring the driver to practice skills and focus more on observation.

There are things new drivers should keep in mind when the car is not equipped with features to support reversing:

1. The driver's posture must be appropriate, adjust the mirrors for best visibility, and limit blind spots when reversing. The mirrors must be bright and clean.

2. In case of reversing straight, reversing easily, reversing into a familiar position, with good light and weather, you only need to look in the mirror or over your shoulder, depending on each person's habits.

3. When backing up into a strange position, difficult to back up, backing up in a zigzag pattern, in unfavorable light or weather, you should combine looking at the 3 mirrors with looking over your shoulder to the right or left; lean forward, stretch your body towards the mirror to observe the mirror more clearly, if necessary, adjust the mirror to fold down to observe low positions, especially when having to back up closely to one side; even have to stick your head through the door to keep an eye out.

4. In low light conditions, unfamiliar environments, and having to back into difficult positions, it is better to wait, get out of the car to observe and come up with a plan. In heavy rain, accept getting wet, get out of the car to observe if necessary.

5. Get into the habit of observing from afar and pulling closer to eliminate blind spots when reversing, easily detecting mounds of dirt, deep holes, markers, tree pots, children, pets, poultry, and livestock from afar, thereby having a reasonable handling plan.

6. Lowering the windows, turning off the radio, using the horn at the right time, and using hazard warning lights to reverse when necessary are also the right choices. Trucks, passenger cars, and construction vehicles, in addition to being equipped with lights, need to have integrated sound signals when reversing so that children and the visually impaired can concentrate, locate their position through sound, and avoid potential risks.

7. If you need help from a companion or a local when reversing, that's fine, but be careful because many people are not used to using turn signals, and it's possible that the two parties won't fully understand each other, causing difficulties, even unnecessary collisions and accidents.

8. "Backing up and holding the belly": When backing up, hold on to the side you want to back up to; when backing up, pay attention to the front of the car to avoid rubbing it because when backing up in a curve, the front of the car tends to tilt out in the opposite direction to the direction the car is backing up.

9. Take advantage of fixed points in the nearby space to determine the direction of the vehicle, the position of the vehicle as well as to align the vehicle, the position to stop. Get into the habit of creating a sense of position, relative distance by using the lower edge of the rear windshield as a point of comparison. When driving on the street, you need to pull over, from the driver's position, looking through the lower edge of the front windshield, you will see the intersection with the sidewalk. This position depends on each type of vehicle and the driver's posture, helping drivers pull over "in one shot", "perfectly correct". Many vehicle alignment applications have become formulas, you should research, learn and practice more.

10. When reversing or entering a wall, bush, gate or garage... you should turn on the low beams, because the light reflected from the lights on objects will help you estimate the safe distance. The smaller and brighter the light, the closer the car is to the obstacle. With the method of using lights, if you have a good feeling, drivers can get very close to the obstacle with a distance of centimeters.

11. In case of parking on a riverbank or pond bank, the parking position requires reversing perpendicular to the length of the river or pond bank, but the driver is not familiar with the feeling of the accelerator pedal due to the rough and bumpy surface and feels a lack of confidence because if the accelerator pedal is accidentally pressed, the car may fall into the river, then it is advisable to reverse slowly, combining the brake, accelerator, handbrake and clutch if the car is manual transmission. Park far from the riverbank or pond bank, then get out of the car to find an obstacle such as a rock, brick, or piece of wood to place in the position of the rear wheel, where you need to stop and then slowly drive the car back into the position you have placed the chock. Before leaving the car, remember to shift the gear lever to P and pull the handbrake.

12. When reversing or maneuvering in tight spaces, the skill of one-handed steering is essential. If you mechanically hold the steering wheel at the 9:15 position, you will not be able to drive. The feeling of the gear position is also important. Holding the gear like a bottle of water will make you less flexible, especially with a manual transmission.

13. Practice parking situations, including parallel parking and parallel parking. In reality, there are places where we have to park parallel, perpendicular, 45-degree diagonal, diagonally staggered, and perpendicularly staggered using reverse skills, but sometimes we have to park at right angles or diagonally... which we see a lot in parking lots at supermarkets, shopping malls, and in apartment basements. There are formulas and instructions on YouTube for all of them. We should refer to them, practice, and build our own formulas that are suitable for our own vehicles and driving habits.

According to VNN