Parking Tips For Beginners

According to eNatis, in August last month there were a total of 124,676. Self-propelled used vehicle registrations and a total of 48,115 self-propelled new vehicle registrations in South Africa. This is a substantial number of extra vehicles on already congested roads particularly in the big cities. This extra load can put more pressure on drivers – especially beginner drivers who may either lack the confidence or the experience to manoeuvre their way in and out safely and efficiency.

Statistics in the UK show that 1 in 6 drivers who hit a parked car do not bother to leave their contact details. In this article, we take you through the steps of the fundamental art of parallel parking and reverse bay parking. After all, if a road user lacks the ability to park properly, they really shouldn’t be driving on the road!

Parallel Parking – Step-by-Step

1. The space between two cars (Car A in front, and Car B at the back) should be a few metres longer than your car.

2. Pull up parallel alongside Car A and in line and as close as possible.

3. Line up the back of your car with the back of Car A.

4. While at a stop, turn your steering wheel all the way to the left (if you are parking on the left hand side, or all the way to the right (if you are parking on the right hand side).

5. Put your car into reverse gear.

6. Turn your head inwards to look out the back of your car and start reversing slowly towards Car B, keeping your wheel still.

7. When the front corner of Car B is exactly in the middle of your windscreen, stop reversing and turn your steering wheel back to the normal position.

8. Continue reversing until your car has just passed Car A.

9. Stop.

10.Turn your steering wheel fully to the right (if parking on the left hand side of the road).

11. Continue reversing slowly towards Car B keeping the wheel in position.

12. Stop.

13. Your car should be parallel or almost parallel with Car A and Car B.

14. Now move forward slowly while turning your wheel back to the normal position.

Reverse Bay Parking – Step-by-Step

You will be parking in Bay 2 between Bay 1 and Bay 3.

1. Move your car forward to line its back up with Bay 3.

2. Put your car into reverse gear.

3. Turn and look out the rear window.

4. Check for pedestrians, cyclists, other vehicles, etc.

5. Once clear, slowly reverse while turning the steering wheel fully in the direction towards your parking bay.

6. Keep glancing in your wing mirror on the side of the parking bay until you see Bay 2’s first line appear.

7. Use this line as a guide to reverse into the bay.

8. At the same time while moving, look to the wing mirror on the other side to find Bay 2’s second line.

9. Now use both rear mirrors to reverse evenly between the two parking lines.

10. Moving very slowly and check through rear view mirror to gauge the distance behind you.

11. One you are far enough and the two lines look parallel on each side, move forward slowly while straightening up the steering wheel.

By following these steps and practicing them often, you will notice that it’s not so difficult after all. The most important rule to apply first and foremost is: Take it slowly.