HEAD-IN PARKING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 110, 5 April 1930, Page 12

HEAD-IN PARKING.

vTo the Editor.)-Sir,—Head-in, parking has evidently come to stay,' but an initial mistake has been made, in fixing the angle so that cars have to back out against the traffic. Sooner or later this - will lead to a fatal accident. Children are generally put in the back of .the car and the day will come when a motorist going too fast past a parking place will run into a car that is backing- out.- Comraonsense would - suggest that cars should back out with the stream of tire traffic. In that case the driver would see approaching vehicles very soon .after he began to back out. Passing cars can easily swerve sufficiently to avoid a car backing out in the direction of the traffic, but it is much -harder to avoid them when backing out against the traffic. It must be remembered, too, that the force of the shock when backing cut against the traffic depends on the speed of the passing car plus that of the car backing out and the impact is a direct one, whereas when backing out with the stream the force of the shock depends on the speed of the passing car minus that of the car backing out and the .impact is a glancing one, the passing car hitting the side instead of the back of the car backing out, and therefore much less likely to cause a fatal accident. There is no difficulty in parking cars against the traffic as the driver oan see exactly where he is going and can take a favourable opportunity, just as he has to do when turning round.—l am, etc., COMMONSENSE. Palmerston North, April 5,' 1930.