Every inch counts...!

elven

I'm struggling with my driveway...

I live on a fairly main road, a few metres from a crossroads with a set of lights. Every night I have to reverse into my driveway - as reversing out would be illegal, as far as I know - and it's proving very difficult to do unless I have a completely empty road.

Tonight, it was pretty clear and the lights ahead were at red, so I pulled up alongside the kerb, ready to angle out and reverse back into the driveway. I indicated left to say I was going in that direction. Someone came up behind me and got so close that I couldn't actually reverse in. I could have pulled out onto the other side of the road to straighten up and go back from there, but the traffic started flowing on that side so I couldn't. I then noticed that the light turned green and because I didn't want to block the traffic both ways I tried to pull back in alongside the kerb and let them past. So, they did, beeping at me on the way past, and the light turned red again, and they all queued up ahead of me. I then signalled that I wanted to pull out again to reverse in and some woman was so desperate to get right up behind the queue at the red light (five cars from the front) that she actually pulled out and stopped halfway past me, so I couldn't go anywhere except straight back. Luckily a taxi driver behind her actually figured out where I was trying to go and left enough space for me to get in...

I have similar problems every night and hate to think that I have to park the car around the corner until 10pm when the road is empty???!! Is there something I can do to make it more obvious to people my intentions, or find a less obtrusive way to get into the driveway? Or, should I be like all the other Dublin drivers (seem to be) and be more bolshy? Why is everyone so bloody desperate to get right up to the back end of the car in front, behind a red light, and not consider leaving a metre or so for me to get my car parked - is it just an attitude thing?

I understand that there's no legal obligation for anyone to give me space to do a maneouvre on the road, but in all my years of driving in Glasgow I never had such a problem with people not willing to let anyone out/in/across anywhere, it seemed far more laid back - and dare I say, considerate... is it just me?

Trying not to rant and looking for some practical advice, if there's any out there?

mikemac

Do what taxi drivers do all the time...put on your hazards.

This may be bad advice-it's just the first thing I thought of.

Most taxi drivers I see don't indicate when pulling in, they first pull in and put on their hazards

Rabies

Give a flash of you hazards before you stop. Stick your out the window to signal the car at the back you so they know something is going on and might give a bit of distance.
After that, you just need to be a little more aggressive when you need to park.

netwhizkid

Sounds like you need a turntable buddy. I have seen them once or twice in the UK like this one. Probably cost a few grand but no doubt worth it, plus a major property value increaser. I don't know if they can be got in Ireland though.

ballooba

Is there room to go around you?

Would people not do so if they see your reverse light?

fletch

My auntie has the very same problem. Whenever I'm driving into her house, I hold the traffic back down the road, then floor it away from them so there's a sufficient gap for me to slow down, indicate and engage reverse. Synchromesh reverse is handy too as you can select reverse before you've actually come to a complete stop.

saobh_ie

Rather than driving past your driveway and reversing back into, stop in advance of passing it, and basically do half of a three point turn and reverse straight in.

If anybody gives you any hassle, ignore them, its not unreasonable to expect people to be trying to park thier cars in thier driveways.

Of course this should only be done if somebody is right on your ass as you approach. If you have any space at all drive pass as normal and get your car into reverse gear (illuminating the reverse light) as quickly as possible. Following traffic should respond to that.

In my experience on motorcycles hand signals are brilliant, they're under used and when people see them they just go an do what you want.

LMAO @ the turntables though, especially the motorcycle turntables. If you have space to spin your bike 360 on the spot all you need is your sidestand, you don't need to spend a shed load of money.

Stark

In my experience of trying to reverse into spaces in car parks with cars following, many people completely ignore your reverse lights.

corktina

if you are really in trouble , stop over your driveway and get out and tell the guy behind what you are doing.....must be a real pain to live on a busy road like that....