The Student Room Group

Parallel Parking tips

ok so i have my test tomorrow and i think im good in all areas expect....PARALLEL PARK!:frown:

now before i changed driving instructors and cars i was fine with it, however somehow i just cannot do it in a mini expect by going by instinct:s-smilie:

so just wondering are there any tip people can teach me expect for the pyramid and 4 second techniques?
Reply 1
I always had trouble knowing exactly when to do my final full lock and always ended up way too far away from the kerb, and my instructor said where you begin your full lock that is where your car will roughly end up .. it will go a bit closer so be careful.. since then i have had no problems with the parallel park...

my technique:
1. reverse backwards till my back seats are inline with the car im reverse parking on.
2. one full turn to the left.
3. reverse till my wing mirror is inline with the car's back tyre.
4. straighten my wheel (one full turn to the right)
5. reverse till im roughly where i want to end up, may be slightly out just incase.
6. full lock to the right.
7. when the car is straight, straighten the wheels and reverse back slightly.

keeping full on observation throughout.

works every time! hope that helped.
Original post by Mariana93
I always had trouble knowing exactly when to do my final full lock and always ended up way too far away from the kerb, and my instructor said where you begin your full lock that is where your car will roughly end up .. it will go a bit closer so be careful.. since then i have had no problems with the parallel park...

my technique:
1. reverse backwards till my back seats are inline with the car im reverse parking on.
2. one full turn to the left.
3. reverse till my wing mirror is inline with the car's back tyre.
4. straighten my wheel (one full turn to the right)
5. reverse till im roughly where i want to end up, may be slightly out just incase.
6. full lock to the right.
7. when the car is straight, straighten the wheels and reverse back slightly.

keeping full on observation throughout.

works every time! hope that helped.


thats quite a good idea..:smile: thanks!

any advice is welcome! :smile:
Reply 3
Original post by Mariana93
I always had trouble knowing exactly when to do my final full lock and always ended up way too far away from the kerb, and my instructor said where you begin your full lock that is where your car will roughly end up .. it will go a bit closer so be careful.. since then i have had no problems with the parallel park...

my technique:
1. reverse backwards till my back seats are inline with the car im reverse parking on.
2. one full turn to the left.
3. reverse till my wing mirror is inline with the car's back tyre.
4. straighten my wheel (one full turn to the right)
5. reverse till im roughly where i want to end up, may be slightly out just incase.
6. full lock to the right.
7. when the car is straight, straighten the wheels and reverse back slightly.

keeping full on observation throughout.

works every time! hope that helped.


The problem with these techniques is that it only works on one car. The op already said they learnt in one car and now cant do it in another. Going out and spending an afternoon doing it so you get it nailed is the only way. I taught myself in our carpark at home with my old lwb Land Rover and consequentially I can park anything short of an oil tanker.
Reply 4
Original post by alwaysanigel247
ok so i have my test tomorrow and i think im good in all areas expect....PARALLEL PARK!:frown:

now before i changed driving instructors and cars i was fine with it, however somehow i just cannot do it in a mini expect by going by instinct:s-smilie:

so just wondering are there any tip people can teach me expect for the pyramid and 4 second techniques?


I'd follow those rules posted above, and it also helps to lower your left wing mirror as far as it will go so that you can see how close to the kerb you are. I did this on my test and did my parallel park perfectly. Just remember to put your mirror back up after you ve finished or youll fail for not checking your mirrors before setting off!

Let's just hope that you dont have to do that one in the test. The others are a piece of piss. I'm just glad i never got an emergency stop, my instructor said my reactions with the clutch after the brake were too quick and made the wheels skid :s-smilie:
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 5
OP the best advice has been said :ditto: I would just add that it helps some to think about parallel lines (in the back of their minds).
Reply 6
Original post by Nuffles
The problem with these techniques is that it only works on one car. The op already said they learnt in one car and now cant do it in another. Going out and spending an afternoon doing it so you get it nailed is the only way. I taught myself in our carpark at home with my old lwb Land Rover and consequentially I can park anything short of an oil tanker.


I have used that technique on my instructors car (ford fiesta 11 plate) my own (ford ka 54 plate) and my dads mercedes c220 (08 plate) and it has worked every time, despite the massive difference in size between my KA and dad's c220. :smile:

Only thing is, it doesn't work when the space is quite tight say less than 2 car lengths but that's not the case on tests :smile:
Reply 7
Original post by Mariana93
I have used that technique on my instructors car (ford fiesta 11 plate) my own (ford ka 54 plate) and my dads mercedes c220 (08 plate) and it has worked every time, despite the massive difference in size between my KA and dad's c220. :smile:

Only thing is, it doesn't work when the space is quite tight say less than 2 car lengths but that's not the case on tests :smile:


Less than two car lengths is massive :/ Four feet longer than my car is about average for my parking, although two feet longer is my record (took me a while though). Granted your technique gets you into a space, but a massive space.
My instructor taught me a technique that was absolutely brilliant but I learnt in a Hyundai i20 4Dr. The technique was:

1) Park alongside the car your parking behind leaving half a doors width

2) Reverse back a tiny bit

3) Then do 1 turn to the left

4) Reverse until the passengers front door handle hits the kerb (Might have to adjust the left mirror)

5) Then do a full lock to the right until snuggled into position.

It works every time but unless you have a car similar in size to the Hyundai i20 it wont work as well but you can judge the distance quite easily with bigger cars.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 9
I just reverse back so that both wheels are about 3 inches from the kerb. I dunno about all this lining up windows stuff, it seems pretty straightforward to me.
Similar technique to others by my instructor.

1 - Pull up 3/4m or '3 mirror widths' (theirs, yours, and a same sized gap) away, and with the front of their bonnet in your front passenger side window.

2 - Reverse beck slowly until the rear corner of their car is in the rear quarterlight window and turn 1 full turn left (not full lock).

3 - When the same rear corner of their car is in the middle of the passenger side window, turn one full turn right.

4 - When the edge of my left door mirror lines up with the middle of their car, one full turn right.

5 - Straighten with one full turn left when it feel straight.

Worked a treat in his car, and I could easily adapt it for any car I drove until my spatial awareness negated the need for reference points.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 11
Original post by Hunglikeamuuule
My instructor taught me a technique that was absolutely brilliant but I learnt in a Hyundai i20 4Dr. The technique was:

1) Park alongside the car your parking behind leaving half a doors width

2) Reverse back a tiny bit

3) Then do 1 turn to the left

4) Reverse until the passengers front door handle hits the kerb (Might have to adjust the left mirror)

5) Then do a full lock to the right until snuggled into position.

It works every time but unless you have a car similar in size to the Hyundai i20 it wont work as well but you can judge the distance quite easily with bigger cars.


My instructor taught me something quite similar

Except on number 2 'reverse back a tiny bit' my instructor taught me . ... Reverse back until your wing/side mirror is level with half the body of the other car. At that point you do one steering wheel turn

And for number 4
When you see that the arch of your back wheel is level to the kerb then full lock in the opposite direction until the car is completely straight. Thats it.

As 'hunglikeamuuuuuule' said it works perfectly everytime

Good luck!
Reply 12
Original post by Hunglikeamuuule
My instructor taught me a technique that was absolutely brilliant but I learnt in a Hyundai i20 4Dr. The technique was:

1) Park alongside the car your parking behind leaving half a doors width

2) Reverse back a tiny bit

3) Then do 1 turn to the left

4) Reverse until the passengers front door handle hits the kerb (Might have to adjust the left mirror)

5) Then do a full lock to the right until snuggled into position.

It works every time but unless you have a car similar in size to the Hyundai i20 it wont work as well but you can judge the distance quite easily with bigger cars.


What do you mean by hits the kerb?

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