My understanding that the UK was one of the few countries where you are allowed to park facing traffic - something which is illegal in many other countries....
I thought this was actually illegal, but largely unenforced. In the case of an accident involving a car parked facing traffic though (particularly at night due to reflectors) it may be taken into account.
I do admit to occasionally doing it when in a town or city centre, purely because spaces are hard to come by, so if you see one on the opposite side of the road by the time you turn around someone else will have taken it! Other than that I will park facing the correct way, apart from anything else it's safer and easier to get into and out of the space if there is any traffic on the road.
Many moons ago when the world was in black & white
in the small cul-de-sac opposite my parents house, a car drove at speed in reverse into the front of a car that was facing in the wrong direction. The coppers in the reversing car prosecuted the owner of the stationary car!!! :-? The reason for this fit of pique, was cos it was parked facing the wrong dirction!