How To Parallel Park

The advice given on this page has been written by fully qualified Driving Standards Agency Approved Driving Instructors (DSA ADIs) and is intended only for UK drivers and those taking the UK Practical Driving Test.

Please be aware that road traffic legislation and what is considered good driving practice varies throughout the world!

You may be asked to reverse park behind a single vehicle or between two vehicles - don't worry if the examiner chooses the latter as you won't be asked to squeeze into a tight gap! The examiner will look for a space of one and a half to two car lengths at the bare minimum - probably longer!

The examiner will usually ask you to pull up on the left and then say something along the lines of;

"The vehicle ahead of you is the one upon which I would like you to perform the reverse / parallel park manoeuvre . Please drive forward and stop alongside the car ahead. Then reverse in and park reasonably close to and parallel with the kerb. Try to complete the exercise within about two car lengths."

Let's start with a summarised list of what's required for the parallel parking manoeuvre. You may find it helpful to use this list as a memory jogger (aide memoire) - you could even copy it and print it out!

For those who prefer instructions given visually, there are some tutorial videos further down the page - some with an audio commentary for those who like to listen to what they need to do!

PARALLEL PARKING

1. Start with left door mirror in line with front bumper of the target car (the one you are going to park behind!) and about an arms length away. Handbrake on.

2. Full observation - right to left, checking for pedestrians as well as other road users. If there is a pedestrian at the side of the road, wait until they are out of the way before starting to reverse - it's safer! Handbrake off.

3. Looking over left shoulder, reverse slowly back using clutch control until the back of the target car is visible in the back near-side door window

4. Keeping the car moving slowly, turn the steering wheel one turn (360 degrees) to the left

5. Look once over your right shoulder and then over your left shoulder as you continue to move slowly in reverse

6. When left door mirror is pointing at the back off-side of the target car, turn the steering wheel two full turns to the right (720 degrees)

7. Keeping the car moving, look again over your right shoulder and then over your left

8. Once the car is straight and parallel to the kerb, turn the steering wheel another one turn to the left to straighten the wheels

9. Handbrake on and gear lever into neutral

Remember the steering pattern used - one turn to the left, two turns to the right and one turn to the left - 1 2 1!

It's sometimes easier to actually see something done, rather than just read a set of instructions!

The following videos will give you visual instructions to help you learn how to do the parallel parking manoeuvre.

All the videos are presented in a different format - two are animated and two are "real-life" driving lessons presented by a fully qualified DSA Approved Driving Instructor.

Poor co-ordination of controls
Scrubbing/brushing the kerb
Unnecessarily shunting backwards and forwards
Getting too close to the object car
Mounting the pavement
Turning the steering wheel the wrong way
Parking too far from the kerb
Stalling
Not completing within two car lengths
Finishing at an acute angle to the kerb

*source - Retired driving examiner David Joberns

The Official DSA Guide to Driving:
the essential skills

Driving Test Success ALL Tests 2008/09 Edition
(PC)

Driving Test Success ALL TESTS 2008/09 Interactive DVD