Improving my parking?

BigRazer93 · 23 Jul 2011 at 16:34

Hey guys,

I've passed my driving test, roughly around 2 months ago, and I have gained a lot of experience now since I drive my mums car (Insurance is way too high for me to own a car as I'm only 17). My mums car is a Nissan Quashqai (I know its big, considering its my first time driving a car on my own).

I find parking quite difficult (driving into a bay park). I like reversing into parking spaces, but I don't like driving into them, I just can't seem to get the hang of it what so ever. If you think about it, its new to me as you don't do this on your driving lessons/test.

I was just wondering is there any techniques I can use/follow to make parking easier and hopefully become better at it?

Thanks for looking, Ben!

Maccapacca · 23 Jul 2011 at 16:36

Just practice fella, it'll come, try only using your mirrors to reverse park rather than turning round.

Also don't avoid parking it'll only get worse.

Coldzero · 23 Jul 2011 at 16:36

Lol, no not really apart from practice.

metamorphpwner · 23 Jul 2011 at 16:38

just go to a car park and practice it, i did after i passed my test. i went shopping and found it quite hard to park out of lessons, so when the shops where closed i used the empty car park to get a bit of practice.
i have to get good at parrellel parking quite fast, due to were i live my steet is always rammed and i need to get into small spaces.

Cosimo · 23 Jul 2011 at 16:39

They say practice makes perfect. Just keep doing it.

Rybo89 · 23 Jul 2011 at 16:39

reversing into a space is better anyway, well unless you are nicking a space

BigRazer93 · 23 Jul 2011 at 16:43

Cheers for that guys.

I never turn around when reversing into a space, I always use my mirrors and the camera to check the distance from the car behind me.

I am going to start practising, as you folks said in an empty car park. Is there any advice you would give though for example; go wide and turn in sharply etc.

Thanks again.

metamorphpwner · 23 Jul 2011 at 16:48

well, an empty car park is good, but if you can find a not busy car park it will be better. parking near real cars in real spaces.

thepeteh · 23 Jul 2011 at 16:52

This is how I was taught to park as a learner, still use bits of it many years later.

get level with the car in front of the space you want
start reversing back straight
turn in once level with their boot/bonnet
straighten up at 45 degrees ish
reverse straight until your left/right mirror is level with their light cluster
turn in to bring your front end in.
straighten up if necessary.

[GSV]Lemming · 23 Jul 2011 at 17:23

Dont worry about it too much, all th eangles are against you when trying to drive into a space. If you cant swing wide enough to do it in one and get straight you end up going forwards and back at the end in an effort to straighten.

You are doing it right by reversing in, by far the best and most controlled way of bay parking.

Berger · 23 Jul 2011 at 17:28

Rybo89 said:
reversing into a space is better anyway, well unless you are nicking a space

Sucks when you come out and want to put shopping in the boot from a trolley

Fr0dders · 23 Jul 2011 at 17:29

You need to learn to park like this :

(shamelessly stolen from motors youtube thread)

Vonhelmet · 23 Jul 2011 at 17:30

Find an empty car park. Take some cones or something and put them either side of the bay so you have something to aim around, but which won't suffer for being driven into if it comes to that!

alle · 23 Jul 2011 at 18:32

...Surely reversing out is easier as there is more room. People spend ages reversing into a space, blocking off the boot as mentioned, just so they can pull out forwards? Is it the getaway vehicle???

The only time I feel the need to reverse park is if I'm waiting for someone and would like to see more than a hedge or the front of another car

Berger · 23 Jul 2011 at 18:40

alle said:
...Surely reversing out is easier as there is more room. People spend ages reversing into a space, blocking off the boot as mentioned, just so they can pull out forwards? Is it the getaway vehicle???

The only time I feel the need to reverse park is if I'm waiting for someone and would like to see more than a hedge or the front of another car

Makes it difficult to reverse out the bay if there are vehicles on either side and the space is tight, plus you always get some **** who won't wait while you reverse who wants to squeeze past you.

Happens quite a lot in a van, people don't realise that you can't actually see them out of the passenger side when reversing and you only have the mirrors to go off.

Sirrel Squirrel · 23 Jul 2011 at 20:06

Keep trying, I still balls it up and end up having to reverse a little bit, straighten up and then drive in.

Joe T · 23 Jul 2011 at 21:51

Rybo89 said:
reversing into a space is better anyway, well unless you are nicking a space

This.

Brian8bit · 23 Jul 2011 at 21:56

Just wait until you have to reverse with a fully laden trailer. The first time is like dancing with a fat woman whose gravitational force pulls her in opposite directions to your own direction of movement.

Trifid · 23 Jul 2011 at 22:33

alle said:
...Surely reversing out is easier as there is more room. People spend ages reversing into a space, blocking off the boot as mentioned, just so they can pull out forwards? Is it the getaway vehicle???

It's better to reverse into a space that you have seen is empty than to reverse back out into the road which you may have an obscured view of.

Joe T · 23 Jul 2011 at 23:01

Trifid said:
It's better to reverse into a space that you have seen is empty than to reverse back out into the road which you may have an obscured view of.

Correct, and I think the Highway Code echoes this. SOmething about always reversing onto a 'more minor' road.

Improving my parking?

Tea Drinker