Host Henry Reich explains why driving backwards is harder than driving forwards in a recent episode of MinutePhysics. The challenge in driving backward is due to the fact that when moving forward, the rear wheels follow the direction of the front wheels, but when driving in reverse, the rear wheels veer away from the direction of the front wheels, needing constant correction from the driver. Reich compares the action to the difference between dangling a pencil vertically and trying to balance the same pencil on its point.
