Increasing Fleet Safety with Reverse Parking

If you’ve backed out of a parking spot in a crowded lot, you’ve experienced the frustrating mix of pedestrians, traffic, and poor visibility. Throw bad drivers into the mix and this everyday action quickly becomes a risky game.

While parking is usually uneventful, nearly 200 deaths and 12,000 injuries result from reversing accidents every year. Worse still, many of these accidents involve children, unseen behind the vehicle.

To solve the problem, the Department of Transportation now requires all new cars to have backup cameras, legislation that took effect last year. While these cameras and sensors are an important improvement, every reversing driver still risks an accident with every pull-in park.

For your fleet drivers, these accidents carry even more weight. From higher insurance costs to workers’ comp and repair expenses, work-related incidents are expensive and problematic.

So what can you do?

Train your drivers to reverse park

While backing into a parking space may require more time and effort upfront, it saves even more when you leave. By reverse parking, your drivers gain a wide, open field of vision. Rather than backing out in small, hesitant increments, they can now exit smoothly and quickly. Reverse parking offers benefits such as:

Fewer accidents

With full visual awareness of the people and vehicles around you, you are less likely to hit anyone or anything on your way out.

Emergency preparedness

If you need to leave a location quickly, reverse parking allows you to drive straight out and away.

Saved time

We’ve all experienced the frustration of backing halfway out of a spot, seeing an oncoming car, and having to pull back in. By facing out, you can quickly assess the situation and leave with confidence once it’s clear.

Increased safety

Whether you’re backing out of your driveway or your workplace, reverse parking drastically reduces your chances of hurting yourself or others. If anything goes wrong, you have the ability and awareness to react quickly and effectively.

Use backup cameras and sensors

Though many vehicles made before 2018 lack cameras and sensors, you can find and install your own solutions. With this additional visibility and awareness, your drivers will always be equipped to avoid accidents. These devices are an investment in safety, so protect your company and drivers by finding the right solution today.