If you are reading this blog post, then like most of us you probably find parallel parking a bit tricky.

There are a great deal of drivers who still lack confidence with parking and will often drive past multiple spaces until they find one that they can easily pull in to.

Today, we’re looking over some of the best tips for when it comes to getting into that space!

The Basics

Firstly let us look at the basic principles of parallel parking.

There are 6 steps to getting into that desirable space.

1 – Align your back bumpers with the front car and try to leave as little space as possible between you. Turn your steering wheel as far as it will go (full lock).

2 – Reverse with your wheels in full lock until you are at a 45-degree angle or 1 o’clock in the road. You should be able to see the back car’s number plate in your wing mirror.

3 – Straighten your wheels and reverse in a straight line

4 – Stop reversing when the front of your car is past the rear bumper of the first car or when your wing mirror covers their number plate!

5 – When you are stopped, turn your wheels full lock in the opposite direction and reverse until you are in the space!

6 – Congratulations! You have parallel parked!

Keep in Mind!

 

Although the main tip we can give you is the strategy, it’s also important to remember the below points:

• Keep calm – Try to keep your anxieties to a minimum and remember to breathe
• Focus – Concentrate on the task in hand and don’t let other road users becoming impatient or your passengers distract you.
• Try again – If you didn’t manage to park in one attempt, pull out and try again! It will be easier starting again than trying to fix an error.
• Look around – Check your blind spots regularly whilst completing the manoeuvre, you never know who is trying to squeeze past.

Remember, you are not alone!

You are definitely not the only person who struggles with parking and to end, let’s look at some of the best parking fails.

See if you can spot where they went wrong!