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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to need driving advice?

17 replies

Challenger · 20/09/2012 16:43

I am soon to take my Advanced Driving test but have some problems that I would love to put right first.

  1. Reversing round a corner
  2. Reversing into a parking bay (say at a supermarket) but I hope the test is nowhere near parked cars
  3. Reversing to park behind a car parked at the side of the road.
  1. I can do number 1 sometimes but not always. I have to get my car round the corner without 'crossing the road into which I am reversing. Why do I always go over the line in the road round the corner??
  2. I know how to do number 2 but is there anything you can suggest to make it perfect better?
  3. I start with my car one metre away from the parked car and am parallel with it. I then reverse but always hit the kerb. How do you know when to turn the steering wheel to the right to get into the parking position?

I loathe driving tests but I must do it for myself.

OP posts:
eurochick · 20/09/2012 17:06
  1. It sounds like you are not turning the wheel enough; practice.
  2. Practice.
  3. Practice.

That's all it is.

HecateHarshPants · 20/09/2012 17:10

deja vu Grin

I find reversing a piece of cake. I have those little mirrors that go onto the side mirrors these things

Gives you another angle and really helps. Particularly if you are going too wide. They help you stay tight.

Go slow, don't panic and make sure you are really watching all your mirrors.

ExitPursuedByABear · 20/09/2012 17:11

What euro said.

I have been complimented on my ability to parrallel park - but I did live in a terraced house on a busy road where parrallel parking into the smallest space was an absolute necessity and had to be done rapidly because of the traffic.

Machadaynu · 20/09/2012 17:15

What country are you in OP? 1 and 3 are a standard part of the normal Driving Test in the UK I think. Not sure about number 2.

Practice is the key to anything, though.

Softlysoftly · 20/09/2012 17:16

Get a car with beepy parking sensors.

Make sure sensors are working on day of test.

Pass test

Over rely on parking beepers and ram large building head on when beepers stop working DSister

BrevilleTron · 20/09/2012 18:43

Get the car level with the car you are trying to park behind. Turn the wheel and look into your kerbside mirror. As soon as the kerb disappears turn the wheel the other way and keep reversing. You will slide in no problem

BrevilleTron · 20/09/2012 18:44

Get the car level with the car you are trying to park behind. Turn the wheel and look into your kerbside mirror. As soon as the kerb disappears turn the wheel the other way and keep reversing. You will slide in no problem

valiumredhead · 20/09/2012 18:48

Just keep adjusting your wheel turn wrt reversing round a corner, you are really swinging out wide if you are crossing the line in the middle of the road! Adjust your side mirror so you can see the her and follow it - slowly.

MabelLucyAttwell · 20/09/2012 19:55

BrevilleTron I'll try that.

Valium I'll try that, too.

I'm determined to pass.

wigglesrock · 20/09/2012 20:40

I had to do all of those as part of my standard driving test three years ago. It took me several gos to get the test so I ended up getting all the manouvers (spelt wrong I know) several times Blush

Take your time, practice, practice and yet again practice. Are you having lessons? The reversing into a parking bay is much easier if they're cars there - they keep you right Grin Good luck

doorbellringer · 20/09/2012 22:30

Regarding number 3. Wait till you are rear bumper to bumper then one full turn left. Wait till your wing mirror is next to parked cars rear bumper then one full turn right (straighten you up) then another full right turn to reverse into space. Then full turn left to straighten wheel to do minor adjustments in space. My driving instructer said it was 121 like the phone network. (giving my age away there)

ivykaty44 · 20/09/2012 22:34

I start with my car one metre away from the parked car and am parallel with it. I then reverse but always hit the kerb. How do you know when to turn the steering wheel to the right to get into the parking position?

As my front off side starts to pass the car in front of the space - near the rear near side I know I must turn the steering wheel so as to not touch the kerb

ivykaty44 · 20/09/2012 22:35

121 like the phone network. (giving my age away there)

when I learnt to drive mobile phones hadn't been dreamt ofGrin

doorbellringer · 20/09/2012 22:36

Reversing round a corner: Imagine Paul the pigeon was sitting on the road and you wanted to wipe the Ronseal off him but not scrape your alloys. So near yet so far.

doorbellringer · 20/09/2012 22:43

When your wing mirror is in line with their rear bumper then turn right twice whilst still slowly moving. Makes better sense in practice.

frootshoots · 20/09/2012 22:55

1: Reverse around the corner - I tend to just reverse until I can see the bend of the corner of the road I am going into in my passenger rear window and passenger mirror, and then steer slowly/quickly depending on how sharp the bend is. The trick I think is to keep the car moving, the minute you slow down too much your car is going to go completely the wrong way. And you shouldn't really be more than the width of an A4 piece of paper away from the kirb. Once around the corner keep an eye on the middle of your back window and when it meets the kirb, quickly straighten your wheel and then go back however far you need to.

2: Reversing into a parking bay is all practice, depends on the car, your height etc. I reverse until the middle of my car/door column is aligned with the first line of the space next to the one I want to go into, and then quickly full lock.

I I I So I align my door column with the first 'I' whilst moving backwards and then full lock, and will go into the next space. Hope that makes sense! It's all practice, took me a while to find the right reference point that worked for me.

3: Parallel parking - park a doors width away from the car, slightly more forward. Reverse until the back of the parked car is in the middle of your passenger rear side window. 2 wheel turns to the left. Look in passenger mirror until the kirb disappears. Keep the car moving, slowing down here really messes it up. Full lock to the right until you look like you're going straight, glance forward to check you are, if you are and until you are then quickly straighten your wheel. If you are trying to squeeze in between two cars, then after the point when your kirb dissapears in the passenger wing mirror, switch to your wing mirror and wait for the whole of the car behind you to be visible in that mirror. Never had that method fail on me.

Apologies for the length, have to go into detail when explaining something Grin practice makes perfect, try your manoeuvres whenever you get a chance and you'll soon find your own way of doing it.

WellingtonBoot · 20/09/2012 23:15

Reversing - park your car normally beside a kerb. Get a friend to position a sticker on the bottom of your rear window where the kerb appears as you look over your shoulder. When you are reversing in a straight line, line the kerb up with the sticker and you will be the same distance away every time. Then you just need to practice the turn itself, where spacing is not so vital.

Parallel parking - my dad, who learned to drive in Hong Kong, taught me this: practice on a Sunday, outside a shop with full length windows along the whole of the space you want to reverse into. You can watch your car in the reflection, and get the spacing between your car and the ones either sideas you manoeuvre down to a couple of centimetres!

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