Improving spatial awareness

[curlywurly]

What are your tips for improving spatial awareness while driving or parking an unfamiliar car, or a car with a very sloped bonnet, invisible from the driver's seat? I know we get used to it eventually, but any tips to speed things up are appreciated.

[henrycrun]

Practice gently going forward and back in the car park.

Drop both windows while manoeuvring. Turn off the radio.
Listen for sounds from vehicles, people and children that you may not have spotted. Personally I think it should be part of the driving test but now I've gone off topic.

Edited by henrycrun on Tuesday 18th February 21:41

[thebraketester]

I use my eyes.

[jchesh]

Practice carefully against something like a clean wheelie bin or a tree sapling – something that won't damage your car or be damaged if you gently touch it with your bumper and that you can easily see moving when your bumper reaches it.

[Pica-Pica]

jchesh said:

Practice carefully against something like a clean wheelie bin or a tree sapling – something that won't damage your car or be damaged if you gently touch it with your bumper and that you can easily see moving when your bumper reaches it.

Or moving on from that, use cones in an empty car park, so that they become hidden when close to. You may find an driving course that provides something for improving parking, or just go with a helpful friend.
Also, reverse into parking spaces. To help that, I keep my mirror adjuster set for my passenger mirror, that way I can quickly dip it (I don’t have a dipping passenger door mirror).

[Muddle238]

Place a wheelie bin 6" from your front and rear bumper, get in the drivers seat and see how close they appear in the windscreen and rear window. Try the same technique for the corners of the car, and use this to figure out where in the windscreen objects are clear of the front of the car - useful for parallel parking.