Best advice for supermarket shoppers parking their cars as police chief urges change

A police sergeant has urged for change to make supermarket car parks safer. Teamed up with George's Car Media on TikTok, Sgt Owen Messenger has explained his recommended technique is not only "far easier", but makes the car park much safer.

In a Tesco car park, Sgt Messenger explained: "You've got to weigh up the convenience of loading your shopping into the boot against what is safer and easier for actually driving your car." He explained drivers should consider reverse parking in supermarket car parks, instead of 'nosing' in.

In his video demonstration, he said: "When you are trying to get out, if you are nosed in and are reversing out into the traffic, then it is very difficult to see vehicles and people."

After reversing into a space, he highlighted that as you drive out, you can see "everything that is going on around us" and there is "far less chance of us running anyone over".

Sgt Messenger, who serves in Devon and Cornwall, highlighted that if he had been reversing, a small child "probably would have been out of our view" because they may have been under the window level", CornwallLive reports.

The guidance split opinion among drivers, with one TikTok user agreeing it was "much easier to reverse park than to drive into a tight space", adding that you can get your shopping in "no problem".

Another added: "A lot of companies require you to reverse park in their staff car parks, like warehouses because it reduces the chances massively of causing an accident upon leaving."

However, one person completely disagreed, writing: "I normally think your videos are quite good and informative, however you've really not thought this one through. Most people need to access the boot as most people are doing a big shop."

A third person admitted: "I just think a lot of people can't actually reverse and don't feel confident doing it so they just drive into their space."