To ask how to get better at parking?

[Facilitatingdarkness]

I passed my driving test a couple of years ago and only just bought a car this summer.

I learned in a swish modern car with rear and front video cameras. Instructor taught me how to park using the cameras (eg. "turn wheel when you see green line" etc). You guessed it... I couldn't afford my own swish car with cameras. I'm shit at parking as a result. I'm annoyed that my instructor taught me in a way that wouldn't be useful once I'd changed vehicles!

Please, can I have some tips on how not to be so abysmal at parking?

This YouTube channel is brilliant and I still come back to it every now and then for a refresher.

Big car park with clear white lines and loads of practice.

We own a car with no sensors and it's really made me aware of how reliant on them I've become.

I take great pride in reversing old Vera into a parking space - there's never an audience but mess up a parallel park in my newer car and there's always someone watching!

Practice and try not to worry about the amount of attempts it takes.

For normal car parks, it’s a lot easier to reverse into spaces than it is to go into them forward.

Parallel parking - I am the master at this . My driving instructor taught me a very simple trick 23 years ago and it’s never failed me. Perfect parking every time into the tiniest of spaces, I’ve even had random dickhead blokes come and praise me on my parking (because obviously being a woman I shouldn’t be able to 🙄).

So anyway, look at the central point of the bottom edge of your rear windscreen. You could put a sticker there or something if you’d find it helpful. Pull up alongside the car in front of the space, then turn in at an angle until the central point of rear windscreen hits the curb in your line of vision as you’re looking over your shoulder. Then, and exactly then, straighten up. Voila, perfect parking.

I'm really enjoying all these tips as I've been driving for 3 years and I'm not the most confident at parking.
I'm struggling with reverse parking. I can do it seamlessly (in an empty car park) with bays as my driving instructor taught me to use the 3 bays away method.
I have absolutely no chance of using the same method to get into my driveway as I always misjudge. I've managed it twice by copying my neighbour with the 90Degree angle method but I certainly need more practice.

I had a parking lesson after I'd passed my test. Well worth it.

Practice in YOUR car and you will get better. My driving instructor (years ago so there were no backup cameras) had a clever trick. He had a paperclip jammed/taped to the bottom of the rear window. It was positioned so if you got the paperclip lined up with the curb when parallel parking, that was the time to stop going straight back at an angle and start doing full wheel lock. I found it really helpful. I live in a big busy city in the USA now infamous for its terrible drivers and I can park in like a boss!

@Plumpavocado

What’s the 3 bays away method? What’s the 90 degree angle method?

My parking is abysmal and I’m loving the tips on this thread.

There's several sites that give great tips (in pictures too, which is v helpful!),. But sadly I don't know the names!! Think I cane across them by googling "reverse parking" in Google images.

Anyway instead of using cameras and sensors the hints are all about using different parts of your car to line up with things outside which help get the angle right. Also, obviously I hope, you need to use your mirrors a lot

Like if your reversing into a bay, you go down two bays down and line your wing mirror up with the far line of the bat two down (so the near line of the third bay) and start your turn into your bay (while checking in all three mirrors).

I remember something with door handles for parallel parking which totally escapes me now. (Parallel parking isn't on the test where I live. It shows too in the general public!!)

Look them up the go practice as mentioned already. It's actually a good idea to practice when you are in a new car anyway because knowing things like if you are reversed in far enough or too much with vary car to car for what you need to line up n your car.with the back line

Just came across these (I was checking out parallel parking for myself). They are very good as they give a lot of pointers such as road position and using markers from your car/outside

When you're practising don't be afraid to stop, get out and look to see how much clearance you actually have. It's normally more than you think.
I have electric mirrors on my estate and almost always dip one when reversing into a parking space to see either the white line or kerb. Despite having front and rear sensors!
If you don't have rear sensors you can get a DIY kit for around £20 on eBay. Takes a bit of DIY skill to fit but worth it. Did this on Mrs' car.

I have been driving for years and still can’t park as well if the drivers side is nearest the kerb, if passenger side is nearest kerb I can get into the tiniest spaces 🤷‍♀️ just practise I guess.
Intensive lesson sounds like a fab idea!

Any sensible driving instructor will take you out in your own car to practise. The more cars one drives, the better one can adjust to their differences, but it’s hard when you first try and once you become nervous, it gets harder. Book a lesson with your old or a new recommended instructor

Find an open space, eg an empty car park. Put some cones or boxes down to represent where other cars would be, then practice parking between them. Ideally with someone watching you to let you know if you've hit the imaginary vehicle.

Sort of like but more slowly.

I used to go to the supermarket late at night and practice driving and reversing into spaces when it was empty!

Practice and use your mirrors. I used to look behind and not use my mirrors as much which resulted in bad parking.. Mirrors are key to good reversing into a space or how far your from the kerb

When I learned to drive 20 years ago we were taught to park using marks on the back window screen (ie the wipers etc).

I now mainly park forwards but the only way is practice. Park at the back of car parks where it is quiet to build confidence.

You can retrofit reversing sensors - DH got some for our ds1’s car. Seemed to be easy enough to fit. Might be useful in addition to practice!

Practice and more practice. But that said I've been driving years and there are times when I just glide into the place expertly and others where I get the angle wrong the first time and then just can't get it right!!

One of the worst times was when my neighbour had a tiny car - narrower and shorter than the average and using the normal line up cues just didn't work

Find a parking space near a group of young males. Balls up the parking, wind down the window and ask for help, they will all try to outdo each other to teach you.

This is how I learned to parallel park, it wasn't on the test when I passed mine.

I also agree with the refresher lesson(s)

I'm another one for practice, more practice and then practice a little bit more!

The first time I managed to parallel park properly was on my test. - And that was more luck than judgement! Then living and visiting with on street parking got me very good very quickly!

As others have said, it's a lot easier to reverse into a tight space then it is to drive.

Using your door mirrors will allow you to physically see the side of your car, which makes it so much easier.

Oh, and practice yet again. I was lucky learning to drive as so many more car parks were empty on a Sunday!

Please do try and be confident too! If I can crack it, anyone can!

Oh, and did I mention practice?

If it helps, my driving instructor said he used to be awful with forward bay parks until he became an instructor and had to do them all the time. I find reverse bay parking much easier than forward bay parking (though I’m not sure why!)

I struggle with parallel parking. I cant see the bonnet of my car, and if I am trying to get in a space always think im nearer to the other cars than I actually am. It doesnt help of you are trying to parallel park and you have a load of cars sitting behind you either. A pp idea of special; lessons is a good one, might do that myself

Book a couple of lessons with a driving instructor to work on this.
Some other people have good tips on this thread. I dip my wing mirror down so I can see the pavement which helps me. Practise as much as you can on your own too. It will get better.

As an aside, I was taught in a car where the handbrake was just a button and when you started to drive off it released automatically. I thought it was very silly as when I then started to drive in my partner's car (after I passed my test, I'm in another country where you aren't allowed to just stick Learner plates on and go out for a drive with just anyone) I really struggled with releasing the handbrake when starting - leading to constant stalling.
I really don't think people should be learning to drive and park only using parking sensors/cameras on cars, especially when so many people are not going to be able to afford a car with these features. I think you should have to do it without in the driving test. If the driving instructor then also wants to teach you to do it with cameras, fair enough, but it really should be a requirement to be able to do so without.

@parietal

In my car, there is a trick to parallel parking

1. line up parallel to the car ahead & pretty close
2. reverse slowly so your front is adjacent to their wing mirror (assuming they also point forwards)
3. turn wheel hard left to get your back end into the space
4. reverse slowly until you feel you are 3/4 of the way in
5. slowly straighten & keep going back til you are all the way in

but getting an instructor in your car really is the best way. They can point out the critical stop/turn points and how they relate to the size of your car. Then you can practice.

This is how I was taught to parallel park too. It is all about learning the cues that work with your car. I agree with others that a lesson dedicated to parking would be useful.