Neil Brown Driving Tuition
Parallel Park
On the driving test, the examiner will ask you to stop on the left, leaving about 1 car's length, between yourself and the parked car. This gives the examiner a chance to explain the manoeuvre. This is also where you should finish the manoeuvre.
Move off safely and position your car, ready to reverse. As a rough guide, your passenger door mirror, should be about level with the front of the other car (see red arrow in diagram below), your car should be straight, with the steering wheel straight and you should be far enough away from the other car to avoid the door mirrors touching when reversing (see the blue arrow in the diagram below).
The red arrow shows your passenger door mirror level with the front of the other car.
The blue arrow shows a safe distance between our car and the other car.
Reverse until your car has passed the back of the other car (see red arrow in the diagram below), as a rough guide the back of the other car should be halfway across the passenger side rear window (or disappear behind the passenger head restraint), just before your car reaches this point, you should check your driver's side blind spot, the front of your car will swing out when you start steer.
The red arrow shows, the rear of our car passed the rear of the other car.
Turn your steering wheel one full turn, to the left.
Imagine a clock face, your car should be pointing between 1 and 2 o'clock.
Turn your steering wheel one full turn to the right.
Reverse slowly, keeping all round observations, the passenger side rear of your car will gradually get closer to the kerb.
When the passenger side rear of your car is roughly a drains width away from the kerb, steer full lock to the right.
Once your car is straight, steer 1 and a half turns to the left, this will straighten the front wheels, see diagram below.
Keep reversing, until there is about 2 car lengths, between your car and the other parked car, see diagram below.
