All the cars are prepared to move forwards and backwards. Normally they do it forward. So much so that the Traffic and Road Safety Law directly prohibits reversing. This is established in article 31 when it exhaustively states that "reversing is prohibited".
However, the regulatory text reflects the exceptions in which it is allowed to use reverse gear. Basically there are two: when it is not possible to continue driving forward and to park. It also affects the fact that the route of this maneuver must always be the "essential minimum" and that it must be done slowly, making sure that it will not constitute any danger to other road users.
The Law specifies that reversing can also be done as a complementary maneuver to make a stop, park or join traffic, but it can never "be more than 15 meters or invade a crossroads". In summary, reversing is only allowed in very specific cases and it must always be a "short, slow and risk-free" manoeuvre, according to the DGT in its publication 'Traffic and Road Safety'.
This last consideration is very important since, as Tráfico recalls, during reversing the position of the driver and the movement of the vehicle are unnatural. For this reason, the DGT advises motorists to internalize the RSM rule so that every time they reverse their vehicle, they do so without risk of causing an accident.
This rule responds to the initials of mirror, signal and maneuver (RSM) that will help us to reverse safely.
It is important to have the mirrors correctly adjusted (here we teach you how to do it) to look around the vehicle. In a parking lot, for example, they can be tilted down to see the curb or a bollard. To avoid dangerous situations, the golden rule is to make sure as many times as necessary that there are no people, vehicles or other obstacles around our car.
Before carrying out any maneuver, we must inform all road users (pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers) of our intentions. The way to do this is with the indicator light that comes on when you engage reverse gear. If the vehicle does not have this light, we will warn the maneuver by extending the arm horizontally with the palm of the hand downwards.
The DGT recalls that during the reversing maneuver we must not fully depress the clutch to let the car fall backwards because, in this way, there will be a certain loss of control over the vehicle and it will cost more to stop it.
Once we have made sure that there are no obstacles around us and we have signaled the maneuver correctly, we can engage reverse gear. The regulations establish that if "by circumstances visibility of the vehicle itself, space and time necessary" were necessary, "the driver must even get out of his vehicle or, if this is not possible, follow instructions given by a third person outside the vehicle " to carry out the maneuver.
Delving into the regulations, it should be noted that the law expressly prohibits reversing on the roads where you drive the fastest, that is, on highways and highways, without exception. Therefore, if we miss an exit we must continue driving until the next one. Reversing is considered a serious offense that entails a financial fine of 200 euros and the loss of 4 points from the driver's license.
Only police and emergency vehicles are allowed, on an exceptional basis, to reverse gear when traveling on the motorway or dual carriageway in urgent service. Furthermore, in doing so, they must not compromise the security of users.
