This may be a weird question, however I was recently told by a local police officer that it was illegal to back into a parking space. Everytime I go somewhere I always back into a parking spot for safety reasons. Several years ago I was backing out of a parking space and I almost hit a little girl cause I could not see her because of my high tailgate. Since then I've always back into parking spots when parking so I can see in front of me when I pull out. Has anyone ever heard of this law?

 

I have never heard of such a law. In NY you are not supposed to back out into traffic, like from a driveway. Anyway I usually take up two spaces also front to back as my truck is too long for one.

Hondo

 

I back in if I can, never heard of such a law.

 

I've noticed those front end in only signs a lot lately. I saw that it was enforced with a ticket too. Don't understand why.

 

If it is a big parking lot, I will pull in forward into the next spot. That way I can pull forward to exit.
Otherwise I will do what ever is the easiest. Don't know about any law about backing in or nose in. But in the police driving courses they teach back in.

 

Do you have license tags on front and back of a vehicle or back only? I vaguely recall something about backing in being a problem because they couldn't see the tag # but I may be wrong. I often back in and am not aware of a law about it and we only use rear tags here in OK.

 

I don't necessarily back in every time (sometimes I will pull through), but the nose of my truck is always facing into the lane of the parking lot.

I tend to hit stuff when I back up and can't see (wooden post that they put along sidewalk at gas station that is too low to be seen from behind my dually fender, big concrete block that was too low to be seen behind my tailgate, etc).

 

i try to back in if it feels safer/easier. usually i end up taking up 2 spaces in mall/walmart parking lots cause of how long the truck is.

 

Some parking garages state "Head In Only" because some idiots back too far in, hitting the wall (often load-bearing) and causing damage.

But backing in is way easier in most cases when you've got vehicles as large as ours.

 

I always leave the nose facing out. The reason is because when the yahoo that pulls in behind my truck uses the "Don't stop until you feel the bump" method of parking his vehicle,,,,,, he will be bumping into the 2" ball hitch instead of the plastic Sport bumper on the front of mine.
True story,,,,
I came out of the local mall to find a woman in a import car stuck on the hitch of my truck. She looked perplexed as what to do and before I could say anything to her,,, she put it in reverse and backed up tearing the bumper cover off the front of her car.
She looked at me and sheepishly said "I'm sorry,,, did I hurt your truck?"
I replied, "No dear,,,,, do you want me to put that bumper in your trunk for you?"
"No,,,,, I think I better call my husband....."

 

OK Dennis, that's FUNNY! Did you get any pics?

When I park I will back if if I can't find a pull-through. I will park in the back of the lot and walk further if I can get a pull-through spot. More necessary for the long bed than the short, but I do it for both.
I have seen specific parking lots that say "head-in parking only". Never heard of a law regarding it though.

Chris

 

I doubt they can enforce a law like that on private property .

 

I back in. As stated earlier it is easier to fit the rear in tight spaces because of the front end "swing". Same thing pulling out.
I have backed in for years. In the car business (yup...I was in it for about 18 years...not as much fun anymore) it is better to display a vehicle with the nose out. The trunk is not the most appealing end of a car and it is a lot easier to jump a dead battery(after a car sat too long w/o being started) with the nose out.

 

I had a friend that went to a bar here in southern Ohio and backed his truck into a parking spot. He recieved a ticket from a local cop for not pulling in. I dont think it has anything to do with license plates. In Ohio its required to have front and back plates. Rumor has it cops look for cars backed into spots around bars for possible DUI's (its easier to leave the bar pulling out of spots then backing out of them)

 

I usually back into a space, take two, whatever is easiest, so I checked whatever is easiest. I prefer to strattle two out in the north 40 backed in. Serves the multitude of purposes AND usually everyone is too lazy to walk so I don't get hit by their doors or shopping carts. Backing in also helps to prevent theft, something about hooking into your hitch to steal your truck.

I never heard of being ticketed because of being backed into a space. I have seen the pull in forward signs, mostly in parking garages (which I tend to avoid). There are laws in most states that make backing onto a street illegal. It IS against the law to back onto a US highway or certain classes of roads (how would you know the class of a road?). I have seen people being ticketed for backing onto roads that have the 'US' route numbers.

CD