Have you ever had trouble backing out in a busy parking lot because your view was blocked by
vehicles on either side of you? It happens to me all the time, so let's take a look at how to
safely back out in that situation. Let's look at some of the basics of backing out of a parking
space. And we're going to be doing this first in a safe area without other cars, in this case a nearly
empty parking lot. If you're just learning this skill, find a place like this to practice before
you actually go out and try it between other vehicles. I set out cones to mark the width of
the parking space, and to use as a guide to know if I was staying between the lines as I backed.
You can also use boxes or something else to do the same thing when you practice this, or you can
just check your mirrors or look out your window to see how you're doing. Before you start to back
out, always put on your seat belt. Don't wait to do that until after you've already backed out. Make
sure your mirrors are properly adjusted because they're an important tool to use in any backing
maneuver. Before starting to back, always look 360 fegrees all around you for other vehicles,
obstructions, and pedestrians, and make sure the area is clear for you to safely back out. Look
over your left shoulder, and to the left side, check your left mirror, check the area in front
of you, your rear view mirror, the right mirror, the right side, look over your right shoulder, and look
straight back if you have a rear window. Especially for new drivers, it can understandably be a little
confusing about which way you turn your steering wheel to back out. And here's how that works. If
you're going to back out and then want to drive away to your right, then the rear end of your
vehicle is going to be moving to the left as you back out. That means you'll need to put on your
left turn signal and you will also be turning your steering wheel to the left. Which signal
you turn on and which way you turn your steering wheel will match up with the direction the rear
of your car will be moving in as you back up. And yes, you should use your signals when backing out
of a parking spot. The flashing light will help get other drivers attention, which is safer for
you and them. And it lets others know which way the rear end of your vehicle will be turning as you're
backing out of your spot. Along those same lines, if you're going to to back out and then want to drive
away to your left, then the rear of your vehicle is going to be moving to the right as you back out. So
you would put on your right turn signal and you will also be turning your steering wheel to the
right as you back up. And now you know everything you need to know so you can begin backing up. Well,
not quite yet. It's important that you also back up slowly and carefully. To help with that, don't use
the accelerator to back out of your parking space; let the engine idle you back if it can. Instead of
having your foot on the accelerator as your back, place your foot on the brake and keep it there the
whole time you're backing. Press and release the brake as needed to regulate your backing speed.
This allows you more control as you're reversing. If you're backing out and another vehicle comes
down the parking row, you want to be able to stop quickly to avoid an accident and let them go by. If
you're backing up an incline, then you might have to use the accelerator. But use it very carefully
to keep your speed slow so you can still maintain control. With that in mind, now you're ready to back
up. So do that complete visual check around your vehicle, put your foot on the brake pedal, put
your vehicle in reverse, and begin backing. And if you have a backup camera, by all means use it. But
don't rely solely on it while backing, because you still need to look all around you for other cars,
obstructions, and pedestrians. A backup camera can show you a lot but it can't show you everything
that might be happening around you. And unless the feature has been disabled, they even normally have
warnings on their screen cautioning you to check your surroundings for safety. Also be aware that
depending on the state you live in or the driving examiner you have, you may not be allowed to use
a backup camera during a driving exam. If it is allowed, you cannot use it as your main reference
for backing, but only as an additional way to check your surroundings, much like you would use a mirror.
As you're backing, you want to keep your vehicle between the two lines of your parking space, at
least until the front of your vehicle is clear of the bumpers of the vehicles on either side of you.
Or as in this case, clear the cones. Steer your car straight back between the parking lines. If there
are no vehicles parked close behind you on the opposite side of the parking row, you can keep the steering
wheel straight the whole time as you back until you're clear of the other vehicles parked beside
you. Once the front of your vehicle is clear of the bumpers of the vehicles on either side of you, turn
your steering wheel all the way as far as it will go to get yourself turned in the correct direction.
Then turn the wheel back to center and drive off. If there are vehicles parked close behind you, you
probably won't be able to back straight out all the way and then turn. In a situation like this,
you'll need to make a tighter turn. When you get about a third of the way out of the parking spot,
you start turning your steering wheel gradually in the proper direction to get your vehicle turning.
This is how it looks when leaving to the right. Starting your turn sooner will help you avoid
other vehicles parked behind you. But only turn slightly as you back up so that you can still
stay within the lines of your parking space until the front of your vehicle is past the bumpers of
the vehicles parked beside you. The main bumper to look out for is the one that gets closer to the
front of your vehicle as you turn, the one on the same side as the direction you'll be driving off
in. If you're driving off to the right, you'll have to clear the bumper of the vehicle on your right
before you can fully turn your steering wheel all the way to complete your turn. When it looks
like the front corner of your car is slightly past that bumper and roughly lined up with the corner
of that bumper, then it's safe for you to turn your steering wheel all the way and complete your turn
out of the parking space. This is how that would all look when leaving to the left. Everything is
the same, only the car is swinging out slightly to the left as I back up until I get past the cone
when I can turn my steering wheel all the way to the right to leave the parking spot and get turned
to leave. If driving off to the left, then it's the bumper of the car on your left that you'll have
to clear. When it looks like the front corner of your car is slightly past that bumper and roughly
lined up with the corner of that bumper, then it's safe for you to turn your steering wheel all the
way and complete your turn out of the parking space. There are normally two types of parking
stalls that you'll be dealing with. One is straight, and you have to turn a full 90 degrees to enter or
leave it. The other is angled typically at 45 or 60 degrees, requiring you to make less of a turn
to enter or leave it. The parking spots in this lot are straight, and the lane between the rows
is narrow. There were other vehicles parked right behind me so I had to start turning slightly while
I was still between the lines in order to be able to make my turn. Depending on the size of what
you're driving, sometimes you might even have to back up out of a spot like this as far as you can,
then pull forward a little, and then back up again with your steering wheel fully turned in order
to be able to avoid the cars parked behind you. The parking spots in this lot are angled and the lane
is wide, so I could back out of my space before turning my steering wheel to the right, making it
much simpler to back out and avoid other parked vehicles around me. Different parking lot setups
can require you to adjust how you back up in order to suit your situation. In a busy parking lot, there
can be a lot happening around you, so it's a must that you completely look all around before backing.
If you normally have your radio or other device on to listen to something while you drive, it's a
good idea to turn that down or even off. And that's just in case you start to back out and someone is
coming down the parking row that you can't see, and then they honk to let you know that they're
approaching. If you hear a honk, stop, and wait until you see the other vehicle go by, and then proceed
with your backing maneuver. If your radio is loud, you might not be able to hear that honk. Some other
things to watch out for in a busy parking lot are pedestrians walking behind you or even beside you
between the cars. As you start to back and pull further out you, may notice that someone else is
already backing up beside or behind you, and you need to stop and wait on them. There may be other
drivers already coming down the lane between the rows having left their spots are looking for one,
and they have the right-of-way because they're already in the traffic lane, and you must yield
to them. But in all these and any other backing situation, just take your time, back up slowly with
your foot on the brake, keep scanning the area as you back up, and you'll be alright. If you have
any comments or tips about how to back up out of a parking space, please leave those in the comment
section below. I'd like to hear from you! Thanks for watching, have a great day, and drive safe