Anyone else struggle with car parks

Loveslots1990

I find driving slowly and parking in bays harder than every day driving is anyone else Similar to me?

I always find a bay with a spare bay either side as parking between 2 cars is a real fear of mine.

Yet I can parelel park and reverse round a corner.

Also if anyone's a natural at bay parking and car park driving tips would be good on how to improve my parking ability.

I need help also

The only advice I can give you is to take parking in a bay very slowly keep checking your mirrors. When you see a spot move your car forwards and go past the spot a little turn your steering to try to level your car out as much as possible in front of the bay you intend to park into, usually it's not possible to be completely straight but a more shallow angle like 60-45 degrees or less is possible in most car parks then reverse slowly into the space behind you.

Reply 3

AngryJellyfish

Chat Forum Helper, Entertainment Forum Helper

Moved to Cars and motoring. :smile:

Reply 4

Revolver72

Are you trying to go in front ways? If you try to reverse in, it might help a little. That way your wheels are turning at the 'rear' of your direction of travel (as you are moving in reverse), and you can bring the nose into line more easily. It also makes it easier getting out or adjusting your parking a little if you're too close. Try going to an empty car park to practise, where you're not under the stress of being hurried.

Reply 5

IWMTom

Original post by Revolver72

Assuming it's a FWD, of course.

Reply 6

Nuffles

Original post by IWMTom

Assuming it's a FWD, of course.

It makes no difference whether it's FWD or RWD. Reversing into a bay space is far easier than driving in forwards for both drivetrains. What matters in this case is the steered wheels, not the driven wheels. And the steered wheels (on road going vehicles, at least) are always the front wheels.

It's also far safer to pull out forwards when you're leaving. I see near accidents from people blindly reversing out several times every Saturday at my local supermarket.

Reply 7

IWMTom

Original post by Nuffles

Well I'll be damned, for some reason I've always thought it was easier to reverse park a FWD car than a RWD. Wonder where I got that from!

Reply 8

Nuffles

Original post by IWMTom

Well I'll be damned, for some reason I've always thought it was easier to reverse park a FWD car than a RWD. Wonder where I got that from!

If you're getting down to the nitty gritty then FWD will be effecitvely geared slightly lower than RWD when reversing at full lock (assuming gear ratio and engine otherwise the same) as the front wheels will roll further than the rear wheels in terms of the overall movement of the vehicle as they prescribe a larger circle. This is the reason centre differentials are required on full-time four wheel drive vehicles like Land Rovers.

In reality you can't feel the difference as you set the engine rpms and clutch for your desired speed.

Reply 9

nevershear

I hate on-street bays and the Fiesta has an appalling turning circle. I tend to chance side-roads or use MSCPs. Problem was I never really got taught how to park in them as it wasn't part of the test and my situational awareness and planning were more important at the time.

Reply 10

RoyalSheepy

Original post by Loveslots1990

I reverse into all the bays, never go forwards in because it's harder to get out.

To reverse in, just pull up so you line your back end in near enough in front of the bay so you can reverse straight into it.

Reply 11

Little_fly

I find it easier to reverse beside at least one other car, but prefer reversing between 2 as it gives me more guidance on where the lines are

Reply 12

Loveslots1990

I'm awful at all the manoeuvres sadly got 2 minor faults on my driving test for the reverse park! Only got 6 in total passed but wasn't happy with my efforts on parking haha. I never park between two cars and I always go in forwards and reverse out lol. Get jealous of people that can park on a sixpence!

Reply 13

TajwarC

Original post by Loveslots1990

I always struggled to drive forward into a bay, reversing in is always better unless the bay is directly in front of you

(the one after the "90 degree method")

is the way I started reversing and now its easy after some practice, check the left side mirror that will tell you where the back of your car is relative to the car next to it