Parking Reverse parallel and angle bay.
It is a sad fact that many otherwise competent learner drivers find difficulty in
parking their car during the driving test. A common fault is the tendency to allow
insufficient time to develop this skill to a satisfactory standard.
For parking, is a matter of acquiring an efficient technique and then devoting four
or five hours of practice to develop finesse, the driver should select a space approximately
one-and-a-half times the length of the vehicle (assuming that availability of parking
space is limited). When parking (parallel), in a shopping area, a driver can sometimes
check the distance from the vehicle ahead by using a shop window as a mirror.
If parking adjacent to a no-parking sign, the courteous driver will place his vehicle
as close to the sign as possible. This will provide maximum space for others, particularly
if it is intended to leave his vehicle parked for an extended period.
If available kerb-side space is sufficient to accommodate two vehicles it is most
selfish to park one's own vehicle in the middle of the space merely to have more
room to leave the kerb when moving out.
Ideally your nearside wheels should be 150-300 mm from the kerb. If too close the
tires may be scuffed by the kerb face, and steering away from the parking position
may be restricted.
If parking bays are marked on the pavement, always place your vehicle tidily within
your marked area, whether parking parallel to or at an angle to the kerb, or inside
an off-street parking area. This makes entering and leaving a parking lot far easier
for you and others next to you, and there will be less chance of your or any adjacent
vehicle being dented by an opening door.
When reversing, and you want the near-side wheels close to and parallel with the
kerb, or parking line, the following method is advocated.
Looking through the rear window over the left shoulder, maintain the line or kerb
as nearly as possible to the centre of the bottom of the rear window. In most cars
this rule-of-thumb method will prove very effective.
The steering wheel should not be turned while the car is stationary as this causes
undue wear and tear on the steering mechanism and the tires.