The Reverse Parking

The Reverse parking Manoeuvre.

The reverse parking manoeuvre will be used many time once you have achieved your goal of getting a full driving licence, so make sure that you get plenty of practice with your driving instructor and ask as many questions as you want if you do not understand.

Start the manoeuvre by stopping the vehicle a short distance from your target vehicle, and a little ahead of it (about a metre from the target vehicle). Don’t forget to use MSM routine as you stop the car and give a left signal if it will benefit say another car that is behind you.

You will then prepare the car to move backwards, using POM, but selecting reverse gear.

Now, for a very common error committed on this manoeuvre by learners is the observation fault. The fault is that you must look back, out of the rear windscreen, before the wheels of the car turn even one inch.

You would not want to set off forward without looking in the direction of travel so do not move backwards whilst looking in the front direction. This is almost always a serious error, as it could potentially be very dangerous. Whilst on the move, do not, under any circumstances, rely solely on the mirrors for your vision to the rear. You must actually look to the rear for the majority of the manoeuvre.

Once your car reaches the ‘point of turn’ (your car door-pillar is aligned with the door-pillar of the target vehicle), you will start to steer one full turn to the left, you must take effective observation ahead of you for oncoming traffic, over your right shoulder and offside (right) door mirror before turning the steering wheel to the slightest degree. This is because, as soon as you start the turn, the front of the car will ‘swing’ out into the path of any other vehicles or pedestrians on the road.

As you see the door mirror of your car line up with the back of the other car, steer one full turn to the right still taking effective observation and stopping for any traffic you see. The final reference point is when the edge of the kerb disappears from you left wing mirror, as this happens you will need to steer to a full lock in the right direction. When you car is almost parallel with the kerb straighten up your steering and stop the car leaving room for you to pull away.

The manoeuvre must be completed with you in full and absolute control, regardless of the incline or how tight or busy the road may be. If your car is capable, you may find performing the manoeuvre with no gas to be far easier and smoother.