Easy Tips For Reverse Parking
Whether you’re taking your driving test soon and need to get better at using your reverse gear, or you’d just like to improve your ability to reverse parallel park or use reverse bay parking, LTrent Driving School is here to help. In this guide, we’ll give you some of our top tips for reverse parking.
1. Get Familiar With How Your Car Handles In Reverse
When your car is in reverse gear, the steering is reversed, too. You’ll turn right and the nose of your car will go left – and vice versa. This can be really hard to get used to at first, and will take some time to master.
We recommend that, when you start reversing as you learn to drive, you practice in a completely empty parking lot. If there are no parked cars or obstacles, you can practice the basics of handling your car – and entering a parking space – without as much fear of hitting something.
You can learn the basics of parking, develop a better understanding of your car length and the placement of your front wheels and rear wheels, and practice reversing into spots in a stress-free environment.
2. Keep Things Slow While Learning
Slowly reversing is the key to success as a learner driver. When you turn the steering wheel and reverse, do it slowly. Reversing slowly gives you more time to react as you steer your vehicle, so it lets you make more adjustments without as much pressure.
3. Don’t Focus On The Steering Wheel – Look At Where You Want To Go
This may seem counter-intuitive. But most learner drivers tend to stare at their steering wheel and in front of them while they turn the steering wheel and try to manoeuvre into the parking space.
Avoid this. You don’t look at the steering wheel when you drive forward – why look at it when you go backward? Instead, look behind you. Find reference points related to where you want to go – such as a car in front of you and behind you.
Then, use these reference points to put the car in place. Look behind you at your destination – by turning your body and your neck. Then, guide your car to its destination. Using your mirrors alone can be confusing, since the image will be reversed.
4. Master Your Mirrors
Checking the mirrors is key for proper parking. You should adjust your driver side and passenger side mirror down somewhat, so that you can see the kerb clearly. This will help you orient your front and rear wheels while parallel parking.
You should also be checking your mirrors to check your blind spot, and to ensure that the area in which you’re parking is free of traffic, and that it’s safe to back into (or out of) a parking spot.
Always remember that objects in the mirrors are closer than they appear. You may think you’re close to the car in front of you, but there may be a bit more room to park. Use your best judgement.
Practice Makes Perfect – Keep Trying!
Mastering reversing and parking is not easy – but it will come, with time. Just make sure you practice – start in an empty parking lot, then move to a place with a few cars and obstacles, and keep practicing until you feel comfortable.
Still stuck? Need help? At LTrent Driving School, we specialise in instructing learner and provisional drivers – and we can help you master reverse parking. Contact LTrent Driving School now to learn more about the Safer Drivers Course which provides learner drivers in class and car coaching sessions. Call 02 8748 4500 or book your lessons online.