Reverse parking - Driving skills

Reverse parking made easy

The reverse park is the one part of the driving test that makes you more nervous.

Even when you’ve got your Ps, reverse parking can be a sweaty-palmed trial. No-one likes the feeling of trying to squeeze into a gap between two cars while cranky motorists bank up behind you.

Here are some simple tips to avoid a dose of the reverse parking heebie-jeebies.

Put it in perspective

Reverse parking isn’t the biggest test of your driving ability.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the best reverse parker in the world, if you speed, forget to indicate and can’t pick a safe gap in the traffic, you’re never going to get your Ps.

The reverse park is one of the manoeuvres you’re expected to do when you go for your red Ps – the dreaded Driving Test.

This is probably why reverse parking has such a reputation – because you have to perform it under pressure.

But the reverse park is only one part of the Driving Test – even if you don’t do it perfectly, you can still pass the test (unless you do something like drive up the kerb or hit a car!).

The best advice from Roads and Maritime Services testing officers is to practise a lot before the test and then, on the day, keep it in perspective, stay calm and don’t panic if it doesn’t go well.

The same advice works on the road: stay calm and if it doesn’t work, well there’s always another parking space somewhere else.