Backing Up | THE BASICS

| Driving Lessons |

Learning to back up safely, particularly in a parking lot, is an essential driving skill that ensures the safety of both you and others. Furthermore, improving your ability to reverse not only boosts your confidence as a driver but also significantly reduces the likelihood of accidents. This skill is crucial, whether you’re maneuvering into a tight parking spot or navigating your way out of a driveway. Moreover, mastering the art of backing up properly enables you to maintain control and heightens your awareness of your surroundings, which is vital for driving safely. In this lesson, we will explore various techniques and offer advice on backing up safely, emphasizing the importance of why it is critical for all drivers to learn and continuously practice this skill.

The Goal

To help new drivers learn and master the crucial skill of backing up a vehicle safely, emphasizing control, awareness, and the mechanics of reversing.

The Learning Environment

Look for large empty parking lots in an industrial park or public facility during closed hours with no traffic, parked cars or pedestrians and with minimal obstructions. Schedule practice during the day with dry pavement and clear weather.  Avoid driving time when the sun may be directly in the driver’s view or when the weather is bad.

Materials Needed

• A vehicle with an automatic transmission.
• An empty parking lot. This lesson takes place in an empty parking lot, free from obstructions, to allow the new driver to focus fully on the mechanics and safety aspects of backing up.
• The Supervised Driving Log (Optional): Although it was originally created for California Teens Learning to Drive, this FREE and COMPLEMENTARY driving log is an essential tool for all new drivers.  Keeping a driving log is great for tracking how you’re doing, finding what you need to get better at, and feeling good about your wins. It helps you learn in an organized way, focusing on key skills to make you a better driver faster. This careful tracking builds confidence and speeds up your path to driving well.

The Activity for Backing Up

STEP 1 – Foot Positioning and Vehicle Preparation:

Start the vehicle, and place your foot firmly on the brake pedal. Explain that controlling the vehicle’s speed will primarily involve the brake, with minimal use of the gas pedal.

STEP 2 –  Shift to Reverse:

With the foot still on the brake, shift the vehicle into reverse gear.

STEP 3 – 360-Degree Scan:

Conduct a thorough 360-degree scan out the rear and side windows to ensure the path is clear of any traffic, pedestrians, and other potential hazards.

STEP 4 – Backing Up:

Once it’s deemed safe, have the driver look through the rear window and gently release the foot brake to start moving backward. Highlight that no gas pedal is needed for automatic cars during this maneuver.

Continue to look out the rear window, keeping an eye out for any hazards.

STEP 5 – Stopping:

To stop, instruct the driver to smoothly apply pressure to the brake pedal.

STEP 6 – Maintaining Constant Awareness:

Emphasize the importance of continual awareness of the surroundings, even when the primary focus is on the area behind the vehicle.

STEP 7 – Practicing Straight Line Reversing:

Initially, focus on moving backward in a straight line to get comfortable with the sensation of reversing.

STEP 8 – Steering in Reverse:

Practice turning the wheel while in reverse. Clarify that steering in reverse actually directs the back end of the car, which can initially feel counterintuitive to new drivers.

STEP 9 – Continuous Practice:

Stress that mastering backing up safely requires consistent practice. Encourage always being mindful of the surroundings when reversing.

Common Errors of Parking Lot Backing Up

• Forgetting the 360-Degree Scan: Skipping this vital step can lead to accidents. Always check your surroundings thoroughly before reversing.
• Not Looking Back Throughout the Maneuver: Ensure that the driver understands the importance of continuously looking back until the vehicle is completely stopped.
• Reversing Too Quickly: Driving at a high speed while in reverse decreases the driver’s ability to react to obstacles and increases the risk of accidents.

Assessment & Evaluation

• Controlled, Slow Backing Up: The driver backs up slowly and with control, demonstrating an understanding of the vehicle’s movements and sensitivity to the brake.
• Awareness: The driver consistently knows what’s around the vehicle, maintaining awareness of their surroundings at all times.

Use a progress tracker to keep track of skills that have been mastered and those that still need practice or improvement.  Express Driving School proudly offers a Driving Skills and Goals Progress Tracker to help student drivers and their driving coaches with assessments and evaluations by providing a rating scale that is simple and easy to use.

Backing Up | THE BASICS

Mastering the skill of backing up is a crucial aspect of driving that demands patience, dedicated practice, and a thorough grasp of how vehicles move and respond. By diligently following the steps detailed in this lesson, new drivers will gradually build the competence and confidence necessary for safe reversing. It’s important to remember that the secret to excelling in backing up, as well as in driving more broadly, lies in consistent practice and a steadfast commitment to safety.