Manoeuvres
Parallel parking
Parallel parking is a sequence of set-up position, then a steady reverse controlled entirely by observation - the reference points only work if the set-up position was right to begin with.
Video lesson coming soon
Use the steps, mistakes, and visual cues below while the video is prepared.
Practical test
Why it matters
Parallel parking is marked on control, accuracy, and observation together - a perfectly angled park with poor all-round observation is still a fault.
What to look out for
Set-up decides the manoeuvre
Reference points only work from a consistent starting position. If the pull-up alongside the space is off, adjust before you start reversing, not partway through.
Observation doesn't pause for reference points
Checking mirrors and looking around isn't a one-off before you begin - it continues throughout the whole manoeuvre, in between glances at your reference points.
Key steps
- 1 Pull up alongside the space, roughly level with the car in front of it and about a car's width away - this starting position is what every later reference point depends on.
- 2 Check all around before you move, then reverse slowly and begin steering towards the kerb once you're level with the back of the space.
- 3 Use your reference points to judge the angle, but keep glancing all around as you go - the points tell you where the car is, not whether it's safe to be there.
- 4 Straighten the wheels once the car is angling in properly, then continue reversing until you're roughly parallel with the kerb.
- 5 Make small forward-and-back corrections to finish close and parallel to the kerb, checking around before each movement rather than only at the start.
Common mistakes
Starting too close or too far from the other car
The reference points assume a specific starting position - get that wrong and every angle afterward is off too.
Watching only the reference point
A reference point tells you the angle, not whether it's safe. Keep checking all around throughout, not just before you start.
Oversteering to fix a bad angle
A small, early correction fixes an angle that's slightly off. A big correction usually means starting the manoeuvre again is faster than continuing to fight it.
Highway Code
This lesson is a revision aid, not a replacement for The Highway Code.
Rule 200
Choose an appropriate place to manoeuvre. Wait until you find a safe place if you need to turn or park.
Read Rule 200 on GOV.UKRule 202
Before reversing, check all round using your mirrors, look for the blind spot behind you, and check for pedestrians or obstructions.
Read Rule 202 on GOV.UK