Paul Jolly: Driving Devon lanes

It’s that time of year again when we come across visitors to our region quite unable to master the art of car manoeuvring in close quarters despite aids such as reversing cameras.

But let’s consider the facts.

Modern car design is increasingly restricting our rear and side vision with bulky and needless rear quarter panels which obliterate our ‘over the shoulder’ three-quarter rearward sight line. This is nothing to do with strength or safety, just a design trend. Then there are high-backed seats, headrests everywhere, small back windows, tinted glass and bulky screen pillars, making accurate vehicle placement extremely challenging.

Car design after WW2 favoured increased glass areas, wraparound screens, slim pillars and low side windows. One could also see the front wings ahead and rear wings behind, allowing perfect car placement for parking. Aerodynamics now dictate a shape that is impossible to determine from within. We have to rely on parking sensors, door mirrors and sometimes rear cameras, which are not easy to judge accurately, and that’s about all.

Throw into the mix a wet dark night coming along a narrow lane with car headlights behind and in front of you, water drops rendering the door mirrors useless and parking sensors going berserk! What chance have motorists got of backing into a space under these conditions?

The fact that we all manage somehow to survive these lanes actually demonstrates what remarkably good drivers we locals are, possessing skill sets that have evolved with experience. We were never taught under those extreme conditions when learning. The terrified expressions we witness of newcomers to our lanes sum up just how good we have all become, and actually, we also show great courtesy to one another with our hand acknowledgement. So, let’s have some appreciation of our mutual difficulties when we meet head-to-head.

Let us also recognise the difficulties our tractor drivers face, especially when they have bulky trailers behind.

We must not forget that the delivery vans we meet are actually delivering the goods we collectively have ordered online, and it’s no fun for them either.