Problems entering narrow spaces. Stress. Can camera help?

aine kilbride

This may be an unusual post to some but I really would appreciate any help and advice at all.

I have been driving for a long time. I am driving a Nissan Qashqai now. In the last few months my confidence has taken a huge blow because I am having difficulty in accessing narrow entrances like narrow entrances to houses and turning left on sharp corners. When faced with a corner I have to think is there a post at the very corner which I might hit. So in all probability I avoid that corner. Or a narrow street where cars are parked on both sides.

My judgement seems to have gone and I become very stressed about this.

In all other cars I have had I have never had this issue. Accessing narrow entrances or roads is proving frightful for me as I am afraid I will scrape something.

The problem with the Qashqai is that it is chunky and wider at the front sides. When turning left I am fearful I will hit something as you simply can not see that area because the car is chunky. I can not park at my workplace because there are narrow gates which I feel I can not manouver through. I have to park elsewhere at great inconvenience and stress.

I have no problems with reversing at all as you can see clearly with the mirrors what your distances are. But going straight entering a narrow gate you can not see the extreme left or right bumpers. I can not seem to judge.

I had always thought cameras in cars were for reversing only? I heard something about sensor cameras for the front. Would they help? I especially have difficulty going through a narrow gate. What I would need is some device that would tell me what distance I am at both sides while I enter a a narrow passage.

Thanks.

colm_mcm

Have a look at the 360 degree camera as fitted to higher spec Qashqais! You won’t be able to fit this to yours but you might want to change to one that has it.

this will give you an idea what it’s about
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/our-cars/nissan-qashqai/so-whats-all-the-fuss-about-the-360-view/

Another probably more sensible option would be change to a regular car like a Golf or something which would be easier and safer to maneuver.

5uspect

Sounds like you lack some spatial awareness coupled with your lack of confidence.

Put some broom handles or similar against each corner of your car and sit in the driver seat to see where each corner is relative to your driving position. Many modern cars have extremely short fronts and you’d be surprised now much your probably overestimating the distance.

is_that_so

I'd also physically walk the width and length of the car and look at it from each of the corners to create a better mental image.

krissovo

You just need a confidence boost and some practice sessions. Take some cones to an open area and get used to the car dimensions again. If you become reliant on driver aids then you will compound the issue.

You can retrofit front sensors and these can be cheap(ish), but some practice will help longer term.

Atlantic Dawn

Take yourself down to a supermarket carpark when it is closed early some morning and practice manoeuvering in to spaces.

Alun

colm_mcm wrote: »

Have a look at the 360 degree camera as fitted to higher spec Qashqais! You won’t be able to fit this to yours but you might want to change to one that has it.

this will give you an idea what it’s about
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/our-cars/nissan-qashqai/so-whats-all-the-fuss-about-the-360-view/

Another probably more sensible option would be change to a regular car like a Golf or something which would be easier and safer to maneuver.

It only works either when reversing when it engages automatically, or driving at very slow speeds forward if you switch it on manually. Go much more than walking pace and it switches off.

corks finest

colm_mcm wrote:

Another probably more sensible option would be change to a regular car like a Golf or something which would be easier and safer to maneuver.

Correct,and a few driving lessons obviously

IrishZeus

When I was learning to drive, my father out flower pits out in the yard and made me drive through them about 1000 times at 1000 different angles. By the end, I could probably have threaded a needle with a car

Would suggest you do similar - empty space or car park, a few cones and do the the obstacle course for yourself. Rebuild the confidence.

Bigus

Your car is a fixed width , so if you have assessed and are certain that the car will fit through a gap, then just worry about judging ONLY one side of the car at the tightest point , logic will then ensure the other side will come through unscathed, even though you can’t see the distance from this side to the obstacle.

punisher5112

Get a wand stick for the front nearside like the Japanese do on their cars.....

colm_mcm

Alun wrote: »

It only works either when reversing when it engages automatically, or driving at very slow speeds forward if you switch it on manually. Go much more than walking pace and it switches off.

I’d say that’s all that’s required though?

freddieot

My other half had the same problem. She too has been driving for years but only really uses our car at the weekend for about an hour maybe so she does not get much 'practice with negotiating difficult areas and parking spots.

So, we got up early on Sundays for few weeks and went to places where we could practice reversing and pulling into tight parking spots.

It's harder to park in a specific marked spot when theret are no other cars around as you don't have as good a guide to see where the lines are , no other cars for reference. After a couple of weeks she mastered that.

Then we went to a park carpark near us and put out empty plastic buckets with mops etc. to simulate a driveway or a tight area. She practiced driving up to the mops and parking between them. The better she got, the closer together I moved the mops. After a couple of weeks she mastered that as well.

If you are going to try this then do it early at the weekend or another time when there will be little or really no other traffic. Last thing you need is someone being a pr**k and blowing the horn at you and all that s**te

Bicyclette

Just for reassurance, head over to Specsavers or somewhere similar and get your eyes checked. SOMETIMES diminishing peripheral vision can be the sign of something, which if caught early can be treated easily and quickly.

aine kilbride

Will certainly check the 360 degree camera out. I got qashqai as part of that deal where you return it for a new model. I will certainly ask about that.

I have no problem at all with reversing or parking. I have issues with simply driving through a small gateway or passage. This is, as I mentioned, because the qashqai is a bit chunky and I can't see the front sides to see how the distance is.

I take Bigus' point above and I suppose I do that subconsciously anyway as best I can.

And yes, a camera that gives the distance between two sides as I enter a narrow gateway going forward for example is what I am after if such one exists. It is worrying to hear that such a camera would turn off if going less than walking speed as I would be very, very careful (and slow) going forward through a narrow space.

kirving

If you genuinely feel you're losing your once good spatial awareness, and it's not just the bigger car, it's available to see a GP. There are a number of medical conditions that can cause such symptoms.

As for manoeuvring, reverse park where ever possible. It's harder at first but in actual fact will become far easier very quickly.

Say youre reversing into a space on your right side. You really only ever have to concentrate on two things.

I see people moving their head all around the place when parking but it's almost always of no help whatsoever and just confuses people.

First thing is an invisible line between the drivers mirror and the back right corner of your car. If the left front corner of the other car is outside this line you cannot hit it no matter what.

Second is the left rear corner of your car. If you think you're getting too close to the car on your left, just move forward a little while driving straight and try again.

Repeat until space is visible between the back left corner of your car, and the car on your left.

aine kilbride

Kevin Irving wrote: »

If you genuinely feel you're losing your once good spatial awareness, and it's not just the bigger car, it's available to see a GP. There are a number of medical conditions that can cause such symptoms.

As for manoeuvring, reverse park where ever possible. It's harder at first but in actual fact will become far easier very quickly.

Say youre reversing into a space on your right side. You really only ever have to concentrate on two things.

I see people moving their head all around the place when parking but it's almost always of no help whatsoever and just confuses people.

First thing is an invisible line between the drivers mirror and the back right corner of your car. If the left front corner of the other car is outside this line you cannot hit it no matter what.

Second is the left rear corner of your car. If you think you're getting too close to the car on your left, just move forward a little while driving straight and try again.

Repeat until space is visible between the back left corner of your car, and the car on your left.

Thank you. But as mentioned I have no problems reverse parking whatsoever as I have the mirrors and I am in control of space.

my3cents

There was a time when you could get four lengths of chrome tubing, bolt them to the corners of your bumper and then stick a red rubber ball on the top.

I actually think modern cars are designed so you can't exactly judge where the front and back bumpers are so that drivers tend to allow more room rather than get as close as they can. Whenever I think I can't get any closer to a wall in a car park and then get out an look I'm never nearer than 30cm.

kirving

aine kilbride wrote: »

Thank you. But as mentioned I have no problems reverse parking whatsoever as I have the mirrors and I am in control of space.

I see that now sorry. I guess my point is that you know the car can fit through a gap. Like the parking space, the gap wont shrink and the car wont grow.

So, focus on what you can see, and ignore what you cannot see. If you get the car as tight as you can on the right side where you have a good view, the left side will always have space.

On a tight left corner in a car park for example, it's OK to cross into the opposing lane, once another car isn't coming so you can avoid the bollard on the left.

peasant

JDM cars often come with these extra mirrors on the passenger side front...perhaps one of those might help?
No idea where and how to get one here though.

PsychoPete

You could retrofit a 360 degree camera to the car

kirving

PsychoPete wrote: »

You could retrofit a 360 degree camera to the car

Unless it came as a dealer fit pack, it would be extremely expensive. Probably cheaper to change the car to be honest.

aine kilbride

Kevin Irving wrote: »

I see that now sorry. I guess my point is that you know the car can fit through a gap. Like the parking space, the gap wont shrink and the car wont grow.

So, focus on what you can see, and ignore what you cannot see. If you get the car as tight as you can on the right side where you have a good view, the left side will always have space.

On a tight left corner in a car park for example, it's OK to cross into the opposing lane, once another car isn't coming so you can avoid the bollard on the left.

No problem thanks.
Yes that is exactly how I am managing at the moment. I have a better view out the front right corner when I am entering a narrow gap so I push as much out there as possible knowing that I am clearing the left front in doing that.

When I exchange the qashqai fro the new model i will ask about 360 degree camera.

Alun

aine kilbride wrote: »

It is worrying to hear that such a camera would turn off if going less than walking speed as I would be very, very careful (and slow) going forward through a narrow space.

I didn't say that, I said it turns off if you're going faster than something like walking speed. At the kinds of speeds you'd typically be doing if parking it'd probably stay on, so you might be OK.

EDIT. Just did a check there, it's 10km/h when the camera switches off automatically.

Eric Cartman

corks finest wrote: »

Correct,and a few driving lessons obviously

+1 cant imagine something as small as a quashqai causing issues to most peoples driving.

perhaps ask a driving instructor to teach you to know where the sides of the car are to help.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Buy a pair of jumper poles and fit them to your car.

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/32gwF9mg

They were optional extras on cars in Japan in the 80’s and 90’s nit sure if they still fit them.