The Student Room Group

Parallel parking

As strange as this may sound my favourite manoeuvre is reversing round the corner it took me the longest to learn aswell but now I know it I love it! Turn in the road is really basic so don't even consider it a manoeuvre :-/ parallel park I learnt to do this a really simple way and it's worked for me for ages but 4 days prior to my test I keep messing it up, either i end up too wide or literally tyre hitting the curb,was wondering if anyone had any good methods of doing it,the way I was taught was 121
1.line your car up with car u want to park in front of full lock steering wheel one turn in
2.when my windscreen is parallel with the rear or front (depend on which direction the car is facing) lights of the parked car,one full turn out
3.when the car is moving back full lock steering wheel out again.
4.when the car is straight in front with parked car turn steering wheel full lock in.


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Reply 1
I fail at parallel parking :woo:

Once, I think, I saw a parking space very near to the place I wanted to go, but it required me to parallel park the car; I ended up parking miles away from the actual place :awesome:
Reply 2
Lol it is a tricky one! Got to keep practising I guess :-/ we'll get there eventually I hope lol


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Don't you straighten the wheel out after being in line with the other car and reverse untill the 'triangle curb' is not in your wing mirror? According to your method you would be very far from the curb. Though I have probably misinterpreted your post:smile:

I do this:

1) Get in line with the other car
2) Reverse until my head is next to their front seat
3) lock wheel towards curb
4) Once I hit a 2 clock angle I straighten the wheel
5) Reverse until the triangle goes
6) Right lock and reverse, then straighten the wheel out
Can you find a reference point on the car to judge how close/far away from the curb you are? I do it the same way as you but I know that there is a point on my rear windscreen that when the curb crosses, I know I need to straighten the car up.

Practice really will help though, I was getting flustered about parallel parks a couple of days before my test and my dad just took me out and made me spend about two hours doing parallel parks on all sorts of situations and in the end when it came to my test I felt a lot more confident about it :smile:

Good luck!
Reply 5
I find it really easy :s-smilie:

I want either that or the reverse round the corner for my test.
Reply 6
It's so hard to really describe yourself through writing,but that method works for me except I just keep messing up as of lately :-/ maybe it's just test nerves! But I'm gonna keep at it continously now until my test next week!thank you all :smile:


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Original post by james1211
I find it really easy :s-smilie:

I want either that or the reverse round the corner for my test.


Reverse around the course is my least favourite manouver (and I don't think I have ever done a proper once since passing). I take my hat off to your sir!


good luck with the test!
Reply 8
Lol it took me a very long time to master it! Soo long my driving instructor made me stand outside the car to watch how it was done( no pupil had ever done that)now i love it,and now I hate parallel parking I hope I don't get it on my test! Knowing my luck I probs will but thanks :smile:


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Original post by pinda.college
Don't you straighten the wheel out after being in line with the other car and reverse untill the 'triangle curb' is not in your wing mirror? According to your method you would be very far from the curb. Though I have probably misinterpreted your post:smile:

I do this:

1) Get in line with the other car
2) Reverse until my head is next to their front seat
3) lock wheel towards curb
4) Once I hit a 2 clock angle I straighten the wheel
5) Reverse until the triangle goes
6) Right lock and reverse, then straighten the wheel out


Perfect explanation. I always hated parallel parking as I found it more risky - i.e. if you do it wrong, you could knock the other car whereas a 3-point turn and a reversing round the corner are fairly risk-free. I got a parallel park on one of my tests though and did it perfectly :woo:


Failed the test though :ninja:
Original post by sarahthegemini
Perfect explanation. I always hated parallel parking as I found it more risky - i.e. if you do it wrong, you could knock the other car whereas a 3-point turn and a reversing round the corner are fairly risk-free. I got a parallel park on one of my tests though and did it perfectly :woo:


Failed the test though :ninja:

I got parallel park on my test and carried it out like I described above. In the end I passed with something like 5 minors, keep trying and you will succeed:smile: Though I do not have a car at the moment and it's been two months since I passed my test, I feel I will forget everything lol. Lucky I am insured on my mum's car and drive to Morrisons and gym haha.
Original post by pinda.college
I got parallel park on my test and carried it out like I described above. In the end I passed with something like 5 minors, keep trying and you will succeed:smile: Though I do not have a car at the moment and it's been two months since I passed my test, I feel I will forget everything lol. Lucky I am insured on my mum's car and drive to Morrisons and gym haha.


Oh I passed eventually :tongue: (on my 6th attempt :ninja:) I find it difficult parking outside my house sometimes between my Dad's car and my neighbour's car but I'm not brave enough to try and carry out a parallel park without supervision :colondollar:
I like parallel parking the least. It's the only one where I am likely to hit the curb as I can't see it. On my test if I get this one, i'm going to try and do it so I am a fair bit away from the curb then move close whilst reversing backwards in a straight line. I hope I get turn in the road though :P
Original post by kka25
I fail at parallel parking :woo:

Once, I think, I saw a parking space very near to the place I wanted to go, but it required me to parallel park the car; I ended up parking miles away from the actual place :awesome:


I do the same.

If anybody asks, just say, "I feel like stretching my legs after that long drive" :smile:
Original post by Runninground
I like parallel parking the least. It's the only one where I am likely to hit the curb as I can't see it. On my test if I get this one, i'm going to try and do it so I am a fair bit away from the curb then move close whilst reversing backwards in a straight line. I hope I get turn in the road though :P

You're more likely to create further difficulties if you try and close the gap between the wheel and the curb towards the end. Do you not know the triangle method?
Reply 15
Original post by pinda.college
You're more likely to create further difficulties if you try and close the gap between the wheel and the curb towards the end. Do you not know the triangle method?


No I only know the 121 method :frown: I think I've figured out now if I'm wide just going to reverse backward turn my wheel in a fraction then straighten it back out,been practising this and it works! Anything is better then hitting the curb.


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Reply 16
I'm terrible at parrallel parking, my instructor even gave me a method similar to that, its all good if you can actually remember the method. If not it takes me agees as I have to keep straightening up and redoing it over and over again! I just feel sorry for the person who has to sit through it on my driving test fearing for her life. I just hope I get turn in the road or left reverse as I love them!
Reply 17
Original post by laura1234
I'm terrible at parrallel parking, my instructor even gave me a method similar to that, its all good if you can actually remember the method. If not it takes me agees as I have to keep straightening up and redoing it over and over again! I just feel sorry for the person who has to sit through it on my driving test fearing for her life. I just hope I get turn in the road or left reverse as I love them!


Finally someone who understands me I really hope I don't get it on my test a turn in the road will suit me nicely :smile:


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Reply 18
Original post by UniMastermindBOSS
I do the same.

If anybody asks, just say, "I feel like stretching my legs after that long drive" :smile:


:five:
I detest parallel parking with a passion. In the future, I will be more than glad to park miles away from a place rather than have to parallel park & squeeze myself in.

Turn in the road is my all time favourite, as it seems to be for a lot of other people here :tongue:

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