Reverse / Parallel Parking

Reverse parking is a convenient way of parking into a space usually only big enough for 1-2 cars and where driving forward would not always be ideal.

Throughout the manoeuvre keep watch for other road users ie. cars/bikes/any vehicle coming close to you. Be carefull of pedestrians around you as you park into the space. Examiner will expect you to WAIT while activity is close-and only re-start when the way is CLEAR.

If another car should approach from the front as you are in the middle of your manoeuvre-stop-make eye contact with the driver ahead to establish their intentions. If the other car starts to move off-wait and carry on after they have gone. If a car approaches from the rear-follow the same procedure-and check what the other car is doing.

Sometimes other cars will sit and wait for you; if so , carry on and complete the exercise, making sure to check all around for other road users.

The examiner will be looking to see that you:- Have control of your vehicle, take effective observations and remain accurate throughout.

1. Drive along side your chosen car to to reverse behind. Try not to park too close, 1 metre is fine, and be carefull not to stop too far away from the vehicle (this will only give you more work!) stop , handbrake on only if you need it.

2. Select reverse gear and find the 'bite'-make all round observations in mirrors and over your right shoulder-if the way is clear look out over your LEFT shoulder out the back window and release the handbrake-start reversing back STRAIGHT until the back of your car is in line with the back of your chosen vehicle-then turn once to the left. Your car will now be slowly coming into the space behind.

Keep clutch control throughout the manoeuvre by holding the clutch at the bite & just below

3. When the wheel arch of YOUR car is about to touch the kerbside-turn full lock to the right-you will now be coming into the space directly behind the chosen vehicle and SHOULD be approx 1 foot away from the kerb. Handbrake on, into neutral.

4. You are now in a position to move away safely from the side of the road with the wheel already in position for turning out Remember- the examiner is not looking for perfection-but will be looking for you to maintain a slow steady pace throughout the manoeuvre, checking all around you & making sure you are reasonalbly close to the kerb.

If you 'go wrong' somewhere, you can 'shunt forward' and start again. The examiner shouldn't mind this, but remember its a test-not a lesson. If you need to correct your position you are allowed to move forward and backwards to get it right. But too much will be frowned upon by the Examiner.

Bay Parking

There are several ways to park a vehicle in a Marked Parking Bay.

1 Parallel Park to the right and left.
2 Reversing Angle Park to the right and left

Parallel Park to the right into a marked bay.

Please refer to Fig 1 below.

As he/she entered the parking area the driver of the blue car has identified the bay he is going to back into. It is the one before the two yellow cars. He calls that number 3.

He makes sure he is a least a cars width away from the line of bays and comes to a stop just beyond bay number 1, all the time looking out for anything moving .

All round observation and then he reverses straight until his shoulder is in line with the centre of bay No1. Shown by the thin arrow on the diagram (This position can be adjusted forwards or backwards subsequently to fine tune the manoeuvre and it depends upon the length of the vehicle).

The back wheel is now level with the nearest line (shown in red) of the bay next to the one being reversed into. Fig 1.

This is the steering point. All-round observation again and then as the car begins to move he appies the right steering lock quickly. Keeps the clutch low and the car slow.

Half way around he stops. Checks all around for pedestrians cyclists and other vehicles. Checks both door mirrors for the bay lines. He will be able to see the line on the right but possibly not the left at this stage.

Continues reversing slowly for another few feet and stops again. Checks all round and the mirrors. He should be able to see both lines at this point.

Steers quickly and briefly away from the line closest to the vehicle if necessary and as soon as the distance between vehicle and lines is the same in both mirrors straightens the wheels quickly.

He keeps the vehicle at a creeping pace all the time. He now watches carefully for the moment when the vehicle is parallel with the lines and straightens up immediately.

Pauses, checks all round - especially through the back window and reverses into the bay.

To avoid striking the kerb at the rear he watches over his right shoulder and using the door mirror stops the vehicle a few inches from the kerb.

On the driving test it is essential to avoid going into the bay over one of the lines. If you judge that this might happen, stop before entering the bay, pull forward adjusting the vehicles position and then checking the door mirrors for accuracy, reverse into the bay as above.

Parallel Park to the left into a marked bay.

The method here is the same as for the right reverse with the obvious exception that once lined up with No 1 the left steering lock is applied.

The left door mirror is useful here because it will show a full view of the bay being backed into once the half way point has been reached

This method is especially useful for drivers who cannot see the bay they are reversing into once they have positioned next to bay No 1.

Angled Reverse to the right into a marked bay.

Please refer to Fig 2 Below

This time the driver of the blue car has decided to perform an angled reverse into a bay on the right. The reason he has chosen this method is because there is no room to do the 123 method outlined above.

As he enters the area he checks his mirrors and keeps very close to the right, about a metre away from the cars on the right. He keeps an eye out for reversing lights and people coming out of bays.

As the nose of the vehicle lines up with the centre of the bay (red star) he is going to back into,( position ‘A’ on the diagram), he pauses and checks his left door mirror and blind spot.

Keeping the car slow he applies the left lock and carefully moves into position ‘B’ applying the right lock just as he stops. An all round check and then a position check in the door mirrors. He should be able to see both lines that he is going to reverse between.

His vehicle is at an angle but it is easily adjusted as he checks all round again and then slowly backs into the bay finishing as for the other methods.

To perform this manoeuvre to the left the process is the same except that the approach is along the front of the bays on the left until level with the bay to be reversed into.

Key points:

Observation - Plenty of it – look before you leap, and watch out for other car park users either in their vehicles or on foot Control - Keep it slow with plenty of clutch control, little or no gas and the brake covered towards the back of the bay. Accuracy - Steer quickly when applying the locks and straightening up. Be prepared to do quick, effective and short adjustments.

Good luck.