Parking troubles

[4919CB]

Hi there!

Looking for a bit of advice. I've held my licence for just over 5 years, and been driving for about 4. I'm fine with driving but I just can't figure out how to park! I can drive into a bay (maybe a little wonky) but when it comes to reversing out if it, reverse parking into a bay or into my driveway something just confuses me and I can't get me or my car to do what I can imagine in my head!

Ive tried extra lessons specifically on parking, my partner describing how they park and their reference points on the car, but my driving position (I'm much shorter) means I see different to them leading to them saying I'm not listening or parking badly with their instructions... I've tried going to empty car parks and practicing repeatedly but something just won't click! I always seem to go in at an angle, or swing over lines when bay parking meaning I definitely wouldn't be able to park between cars!

The worse bit is I've tried in so many cars, even my little BMW Mini was hard for me to park...now I've bought a brand new car I still can't park even with parking sensors! It's getting to the point I avoid driving my car and the company cars (usually huge estates) unless I have to with fear of not being able to park at my destination or even get back onto my driveway!

Any advice would be great as I really want to crack these parking maneuvers before it gets even more embarrassing!

Thanks! 😊

[Siy]

Reverse in... much simpler to understand where the car is going to go.....

[kiethton]

Little weird but get a remote control toy car, set out parking spaces with books etc. and practice parking the toy car in whatever space you create.

You'll soon work out which way to turn the wheels and at what time to get it to go where you want without leaving your house or with the possibility of damaging anything. After that try and put what you've been practising with the toy into action when in the car (empty car park). It should in theory click into place

[donkmeister]

Take pictures each time and post them in "parking like a knob" thread before anyone else has a chance

When I learned to drive, I learned little tricks like starting to wind on the steering when I could see a particular part of the next car at a particular point in the window. Note that there are no universal rules for this!!! A mate who learned the same trick had great difficulty when he changed cars as he couldn't understand a Mondeo being different to his old Micra.

Apart from that, just keep practicing. You must have managed it once to pass your test, surely?

ETA good luck!!!

[hotchy]

I feel this is a Wind up. Buy a car that parks itself.

[8V085]

Park using all 3 mirrors rather than looking over the shoulder.

[langtounlad]

kiethton said:

Little weird but get a remote control toy car, set out parking spaces with books etc. and practice parking the toy car in whatever space you create.

You'll soon work out which way to turn the wheels and at what time to get it to go where you want without leaving your house or with the possibility of damaging anything. After that try and put what you've been practising with the toy into action when in the car (empty car park). It should in theory click into place

Unconventional advice but I could envisage that it might actually help the OP to visualise and overcome the problem.

[Tango13]

Any bit of parking where the car doesn't end up on it's roof or require the assistance of the local fire brigade to help you out of the car is a good bit of parking IMHO

Joking aside I was a bit crap at parking when I first passed my test, I had bikes previously and they are much easier to park, or should I say pick up and move...

As suggested above by a remote controlled car, even if you still can't park at least you'll be up by a new toy

[silverfoxcc]

What we do with our buses when reversing into a bay is

Line up bus so when you look into the RH rear view mirror you can see 'past' all of the bus on your rh side EG no part is hidden behind you

Reverse in using the mirror to adjust your positionsro you get as close as you can to its LH front corner

As soon as your rear wheel is level with that corner. Hard right on the wheel.

YOU WILL NOT CRASH into the car as the distance between the cars increases as you go onto full lock

Start to straighten wheel checking BOTH mirrors as you reverse , just in case the vehicle to your left might be caught by your overhang as you go in. If in doubt hard left drive forward a few feet and then reverse again checking mirrors both sides. If the edges of both cars can be seen. you have room

For doing this when the vehicle is on your LH side. reverse all points of reference in the above

This has taken longer to write than to actually do it!!

Just get someone to help you get to known where your wheels are in the rear view mitoors and thats it


Having said that i have been driving for 53 years and still make a ricket of parallel parking!!!

[fatboy69]

Here we go again.......

[Trevor555]

My missus has never been that good at it, she's now 46.

So you're not alone.

A lot of small cars have very small side mirrors, doesn't help.

She gets on better in my Partner van because the side mirrors are bigger, so maybe look for a car that has large side mirrors.

And well done for being brave and asking on here, hopefully it wont turn into people making fun of you like happens on here far too much.

[rayny]

Do you usually try to park fairly quickly ?
Try reversing in slowly - this gives you a chance to check your mirrors to see where you are, as well as adjusting the steering angle.
When you have parked slowly - Then you can set your own reference points for the B or C pillar.

[Valgar]

Buy spot mirrors that you stick on your mirrors, they give a wide angle view that allows you to see the lines down the side of the car.

My learners love it

[martian12plus2]

im having difficulty with reverse bay parking (3 lines 'technique')
for example im taught to reverse bay park starting from the left side of the road(in a car park) im not on the right side and im not 1 metre away from the bays on the right(like in the reverse bay parking youtube tutorials) i am then instructed full right lock and to look out the side right window behind the drivers seat(not to use the mirrors aka looking forward whilst reversing), then stop after around 2 metres ish and use the ford reversing camera to adjust steering, i write stop after 2 metres but its purely random....hence why im writing for advice really need some sort of reference point(s) and technique, because after ive adjusted steering i am instructed to look out the back window this time before i start reversing and only to glance at the reversing monitor(and to wait for the two green markers to align initially in the bay)(not being able to look forward whilst reversing using the mirrors). im just looking at the scenery out the back window, because i have no real reference points/technique for the first couple metres on full right lock when im all the way over on the left.

[monzaxjr]

Practice, practice and more practice. Mark out a bay with some traffic cones so you have a visual reference in a quiet carpark. Take a competent driver with you for advice and support. Most importantly don't stress or worry about it, it will come in time and no point working yourself up about it.

[Xerstead]

How are your mirrors set? I keep my wing mirrors angled low enough to see the ground at the back of car, and wide enough to see the doors if I tilt my head. There's no need to see a lot of sky, as long as you can still see the rest of the road behind it's fine. Being able to see where the back end of the car is on the ground makes it much easier to judge where you are, and where your back wheel is, as a turning point.

[Pica-Pica]

Xerstead said:

How are your mirrors set? I keep my wing mirrors angled low enough to see the ground at the back of car, and wide enough to see the doors if I tilt my head. There's no need to see a lot of sky, as long as you can still see the rest of the road behind it's fine. Being able to see where the back end of the car is on the ground makes it much easier to judge where you are, and where your back wheel is, as a turning point.

Indeed. Also have the mirror adjuster set the passenger door mirror then you can easily lower it further ( but set it low, as suggested, to start with anyway). The driver’s door mirror is close enough so that leaning forward you can adjust the view much more. I prefer to reverse in with the inside radius of turn to my side. I can then ensure I am very close to the car next to my driver’s side. Then as I continue to reverse into position, I can unwind the steering wheel and open that gap if needed.

[rainmakerraw]

Try this, OP.