Manoeuvres

Bay parking

Lesson breakdown

Sub-skills

Lesson 1

Forward bay parking to the left

The reference point for a left-hand bay park is not on the car - it is you. Sitting on the right, you lose sight of the bay line as you turn, so the set-up lines your own seating position up with the bay next to the one you want.

Open lesson

Lesson 2

Forward bay parking to the right

Turning right puts the bay on your own side of the car, which gives you a reference the left-hand park does not have: your right wing mirror lined up against the bay marking.

Open lesson

Practical test

Why it matters

Bay parking is marked on the same criteria as every manoeuvre: control and observation together. A car that ends up dead straight between the lines but moved without the driver checking around still loses marks on observation, whichever direction it went in.

What to look out for

The turn starts before you move

How much steering correction you need inside the bay is decided by where you positioned the car beforehand - a good set-up needs very little correction.

Car parks mean more moving hazards

Pedestrians step out between parked cars without warning. Keep your speed low enough that a sudden appearance doesn't surprise you.

Key steps

1 Identify the bay you're aiming for and position the car with enough space from it to turn in - too close and you won't have room to swing the front or rear round.
2 Check all around before you commit, then move slowly, turning early enough that the car is already angling towards the bay rather than turning sharply at the last moment.
3 Keep checking around throughout, not just at the start - a bay park usually takes several seconds of movement, and the situation can change while you're mid-manoeuvre.
4 As the car lines up with the bay markings, straighten the wheels progressively rather than all at once, so the car settles in rather than swinging past centre.
5 Make small forward-and-back adjustments if you finish at an angle, checking around before each one, until the car sits centred between the lines.

Common mistakes

Turning in too late

If the set-up position was too close to the bay, you're forced into a sharp, late turn instead of a smooth one - fix the position before you start, not the steering after.

Checking mirrors instead of turning to look

Mirrors don't show everything close to the car. Turn and look through the rear and side windows as you move, especially in a busy car park.

Overcorrecting the final angle

A car that finishes slightly off-centre needs a small adjustment, not a fresh attempt at full lock - large corrections usually make the angle worse, not better.

Highway Code

This lesson is a revision aid, not a replacement for The Highway Code.

Rule 239

Use off-street parking areas, or bays marked out with white lines on the road as parking places, wherever possible.

Read on GOV.UK

Rule 202

Before reversing, look carefully: use all your mirrors, check the blind spot behind you, and check for pedestrians, cyclists or obstructions. A forward bay park means reversing back out, so this applies as you leave the bay.