How to parallel park - our video guide to mastering the manoeuvre

Few manoeuvres strike fear into the hearts of learner drivers like the parallel park.

Like many things however, practice makes perfect, coupled with a good understanding of how best to execute the manoeuvre.

During the driving test, the examiner will be looking for you to demonstrate three key points. These are:

• Accuracy
  To successfully park behind another vehicle and by finishing not too far away from the vehicle in front and not too far from the kerb. Also by not touching the kerb or mounting the pavement.
• Control
  By keeping the cars speed under control by use of clutch control and by use of effective steering.
• Observation
  Constant all-round observation throughout the manoeuvre.

The examiner will say that they wish you to demonstrate the reverse parallel park on the car in front. Before moving off to get position for this manoeuvre, check centre right mirror and right shoulder blindpot and move off slowly so as to get an ideal and accurate position.

The examiner allows plenty of time for manoeuvres, so no need to rush. As you are about to pull alongside the vehicle, check your centre and left mirror. If there are approaching vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians, indicate to the left.

Ideally, stop a little ahead of the  car (around half a car length) and for the distance away from the side of the car, you need to be between half a doors width and a full doors width. Once stopped, remember to cancel your indicator if you applied it. Now select reverse gear regardless of any approaching traffic as your reverse light will provide them with your intention to reverse.

You will now need to get the rear of the cars level. Set yourself some reference points to help.

The easiest way for the pupil is for the rear headrest in your car, to be level with the end of the vehicle

Establishing and getting confident with your reference points is important and certainly will help with this manoeuvre.

Keep the car very slow as you will need to constantly look around in all directions and be accurate with your reference points. Once you are happy the cars are level, stop the car.

Your car is now at it’s point-of-turn. It is likely just for information purposes, that the examiner will ask you to reverse parallel park behind a single car and not in between 2 cars.

If we imagine a clockface, the vehicle in front of us is parked in the 12 o'clock position.

We want the front of our car to be at the 2 o'clock position - using this as a focal point is easier to show via pictures or for the pupil to grasp, than you saying 45 degrees/a pizza slice/ any other methods that for most pupils is hard to quantify and imagine.

As the front of the car gets to the 2 o'clock position, your pupil will need to turn one full turn to the right. This will straighten the wheels and allow the car to come back towards the kerb.

This is where we need our next focal point.

It may be an idea to choose a reference point that may ultimately leave too much of a gap from the kerb to eliminate hitting it. Don’t be fooled into thinking the reverse parallel park has to be completed in one single perfect move. It’s better to adjust than hit the kerb as this may result in a test failure.

At your reference point, steer full right lock. This will bring the car in parallel to the kerb. As you are slowly reversing, keep looking all around but also make frequent checks in your left mirror to assess:

• if your car is parallel from the kerb and a suitable distance from the kerb (around 30cm) to stop.
• if your car is too far from the kerb and needs adjusting

If you feel the car is a suitable distance from the kerb and do not need to adjust, just before you stop, steer your wheel to the left 1 turn to straighten up the front wheels.

If you are too far from the kerb, then essentially you will need to go back to the 2 O'clock position and then reverse to get the correct focal point.

For this second point-of-turn, you may need to establish a different reference point. Once the front of the car in the mirror is level with the kerb then turn one and a half turns to the left to straighten the wheels