How to parallel park

Most Aussie motorists have had to learn the basic manoeuvres to obtain their driving licence: hill starts, three-point turns and the infernal parallel park.

Of all the skills we need on the road, parallel parking is arguably the one that’s least understood in terms of its science. It’s part geometry, part ballet.

And it’s still an incredibly handy skill to have at your disposal, especially if you live in an urban area where car parking spaces are often limited.

The best way to learn parallel parking is to practice in quieter times, when there’s less traffic on the road.

Locate a suitable parking spot. It must be longer than your car, and it must also leave enough extra length to accommodate your car without ‘parking by touch’.

The painted guidelines on the road surface around the parking bay should help you decide whether your car will fit or not.

As you approach, check the mirrors for traffic behind and flick the left indicator on. Keep moving forward until your vehicle is adjacent the car in front – ‘Car A’.

If it’s safe to commence reversing, slip the transmission into reverse.

Ease your foot off the brake pedal – and brush the accelerator lightly if you’re reversing the car up a slope. Feather the brake pedal as soon as the car begins to move backward. Don’t let the car’s speed exceed walking pace.

At the moment your car’s rear wheel on the left (passenger side) draws level with Car A’s rear bumper, haul anti-clockwise on the steering wheel. Turn the wheel ‘full lock’ – as far as the wheel will turn.

As the rear of your car moves into the parking bay, it will pick up speed due to the road’s camber. Make sure you keep just a little pressure applied to the brake pedal to keep the car at walking pace.

Take note of any roadside obstacle (bins, posts, fences, etc) on the footpath adjacent the parking spot. If in doubt, bring the car to a stop and check that you’re clear of obstructions behind.

At the point where the left front wheel of your car is level with the rear bumper of Car A – the same point when you started turning the wheel left – turn the steering wheel full-lock clockwise.

This will bring the nose of the car around to the left, while clearing the right rear corner of Car A as well.

Hold the wheel right-hand down until the car is in series with Car A and Car B behind. Make sure that the rear of your car will not make contact with Car B before your car is parallel with the kerb.

If there’s a risk that your car will touch the front bumper of Car B, stop the car, shift into Drive, and apply left lock (turn the steering wheel anti-clockwise until the front wheels are pointing left).

Ease your foot off the brake pedal and use light throttle if needed for your car to move away from Car B and straighten up at the same time.

If the parking bay is tight, you may need to ‘back and fill’ a couple of times to finish in a position where the car is close to the kerb, pointing straight ahead and well clear of both Car A and Car B.

And that’s all there is to it. No trigonometry, no voodoo, just timing. Simple.

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