New Maine Drivers Should be Learning to Back Into a Parking Spot

Fun Fact: I didn't get my license until my 30's.

In my younger days of Portland living, I could make a solid argument that I didn't really need a license. Living and working right on the Peninsula made it possible for me to pretty much walk to and fro, with no worries about getting around. Sure, nasty weather was always a pain in the neck, but still tolerable.

As I moved out of town, it got increasingly difficult to get by without one. And my wife pretty much put her foot down and decided it had to be done. Being that I was way over 18, I didn't need to take a driver's education class or anything, I just had to pass the written test.

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Current driving rules are omitting possibly the most useful tool of all.

I remember there were two obvious standouts when trying to pass the road test. Obviously, the parallel parking... But also, I had to back up 50 feet in a straight line. The rest is history, I got my license. But I did end up spending a lot of time on a skill that not only wasn't on the test, but wasn't even in the rule book.

...Backing into a parking space...

I've come to feel like this is the most underrated driving skill you can have. Most people want nothing to do with parallel parking and will avoid it. But backing into a parking space is just about one of the safest things you can do. When it's time to pull out of that space, it increases your awareness and visibility.

So why isn't this a rule for new drivers? It could be wildly useful to learn right out of the gate, instead of trying to teach yourself later on. Is there a trick to it? Kind of. that's why it'd be useful to teach. It seems we should be giving all our new drivers all the tools they need to be safe. Do you know how to do it?

What road in Maine do you think is on this list?