“You can reverse into parking bays from either the left or the right. Often reversing from the right will be easier especially in the early stages of learning to park because you will be able to judge your position more accurately by looking over your right shoulder at the bay markings or any parked cars, however the information in this video can be applied to both right and left approaches.
In car parks, where there is not a lot of space, you might have to reverse in from a 90° angle to the bay. Although this car park is empty, you can see by the markings that there is limited room to manoeuvre. If the car park was busy, the driver would almost certainly have to reverse from 90° as shown here.
Start by checking all around as you approach the bay that you wish to park in check your mirrors and look for other people who might be affected by your manoeuvre. Remember that car parks are used by pedestrians. Pedestrians can approach from any angle in a car park and might not be paying attention to the traffic.
Make sure that the bay is clear and that that the space is large enough to allow room for you to get out of the car after parking. Reverse very slowly using clutch control. If the car park is busy you might need to pause two or three times to double check that the area around your car is clear. The point at which you steer will depend on the size and steering of your car. The best way to develop your accuracy is to practice in an empty car park.
Aim to park your car in the centre of the bay. Here we can see the manoeuvre with the car reversing from the left. Notice how much the driver keeps checking to make sure that it is safe to proceed. Where there is more space to manoeuvre in a car park it is normally easier to position your car at an angle to the bay before reversing.
After checking your mirrors, steer away from the bay as you drive past. The angle you reversed from will depend on the space that is available. Again reverse slowly, checking all around for pedestrians and vehicles and aiming to park in the centre of the bay.
The key points are:
– Check that the bay is clear and that there is enough space
– You can reverse in from the left or the right
– Reversing from the right will often be easier
– You can reverse from an angle depending on the space of available
– Keep a constant lookout for pedestrians they might not be paying attention to traffic”
