New survey illuminates parallel parking pain points for Aussies
A new survey into the parking habits of Australian drivers has revealed nearly two out of five Aussies have avoided certain destinations to avoid reverse parallel parking.It's a nerve-wracking experience for most but in built-up cities it is a staple of utilising on-street parking for work, shopping or home. Car Insurance company Budget Direct surveyed more than 1000 car owners across Australia and its findings have shed light on one of the more love-hate aspects of driving, reverse parallel parking.
Although around 60% of drivers surveyed said they needed to reverse parallel park weekly (and 9% doing it every day), the parking manoeuvre remains a constant challenge for many, with those living in outer suburban areas more likely to sidestep the challenge entirely.
Stress and anxiety around parking were found to be significantly prevalent among younger drivers with 33% of Gen Y and nearly 37% of Gen Z drivers reporting having anxiety about reverse parallel parking. While just 8% of the Silent Generation found the parking procedure anxiety fuelled.
65% of male respondents claimed to be very or extremely confident in their parking abilities, almost double the proportion of confident women who reported a higher level of parking-induced stress compared to their male counterparts.
The top challenges drivers said they faced when parking included:
- Dealing with traffic (61%)
- Judging space/estimating distance (50%)
- Aligning the vehicle and timing turns (49%)
- Exiting tight spaces (34%)
- Maintaining visibility (24%).
Interestingly, about a quarter of respondents confessed to avoiding reverse parallel parking entirely by parking elsewhere and taking public transport or even walking to their destination. Others simply avoided visiting particular places because of the anticipated parking setup.
With newer cars packed to the hilt with new driver and safety tech and gadgets, many parking-perplexed Aussies are looking to the future to help with their parking woes. 48% of respondents already utilise parking assist technologies such as reversing cameras and parking sensors. However, only 24% of those surveyed would place considerable or complete trust in an automated parking system.
Interestingly, around half of car owners surveyed have either purchased or are considering buying a smaller car to ease parking difficulties. Despite various parking challenges, a resounding 72% of car owners still view parallel parking as an essential driving skill.
Related: Seven tiny cars to easily navigate city car parking
Related: Where you should park your car according to maths
Related: Five cars with a 360-degree camera to help you perfect your park
Related: Top car care tips for street parking
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
