Is anybody else just utterly rubbish at manoeuvring a car? and how did you get better?

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

practise, people said. I have practised: I passed my test 10 years ago. and while I've never had an accident on the open road, as it were, yet again today a gatepost jumped out at me when I was attempting a 3 point turn. I need to get better at this....

I'm shocked that so many can't reverse parallel park.

I was taught a good tip - when the end of your car meets the boot (or bonnet) of the car you are next too, start turning your wheel into your desired space.

It works every time, but I must say it's more difficult when cars park in the opposite direction of the traffic.

I used to reverse into a tight space (no sensors on my car) in front of my now DHs house after l moved into his street.

He was well impressed and apparently told his mates 'you wanna see this bird who's moved in opposite me reverse park her car - brilliant for a woman '

l've never been able to do it since he told me that - takes me about three go s now

I'm terrible, passed my test 15yrs ago and don't think i've ever reverse-parked! i'm fine on the road, I just need to know I have a bus-sized space to park in when I reach my destination. I usually park right at the back of carparks and walk for ages just because I couldn't find another suitable spot

A space 2 meters longer than my car! I should be so lucky. Come and live in Brighton! No chance of finding a space that big. I reverse park on my street and generally go backwards slowly until I touch the car behind (this is also the Parisian way). Always pull out again if I've got the angle wrong and try again. Bumper to bumper touching generally doesn't hurt the cars. The main problem on my street is that the road width between parked cars is so little that if I'm not really careful my cars front bumper will hit the car on the other side of the road as I turn into the space. That's more of a problem and can leave scratches. I'm still practicing to be able to park on my street without someone keeping an eye on the front of the car for me (I can't see it from the driving seat). I assume practice will help as my DH seems quite able to do it.

Practice here too - have lived in terraced streets so got used to parallel parking into tight spaces on a regular basis. I remember doing it in front of a crowd of watching builders with only inches to spare and they were impressed

I think booking a driving lesson is a great idea - my instructor gave me some parking tips when I was learning to drive.

It's technique and judgement.
One of the few things I'd say I'm really good at is parking, even in tight spots, though in our old car (Audi A3) I wasn't as good as I couldn't see front/back properly.www.mumsnet.com/reviews?call=AddNewReview&category_id=12

I stop alongside the car in front, reverse until the back half of the car is next to the space and then turn in, aiming the nearside rear corner to where I want the car to go. If I do it slowly and controlled I can usually do it first time.

I have a parking mirror on my big car ,it helps enormously :0) for years after I passed my test I wouldnt reverse park> I have been known to abandon the car in the middle of the street and go indoors to get dp to park it shame but now I will do it if I have to

Can anyone else only reverse park? I cannot go forward into a parking space, either on the road or in a car park.

Me, BigBadBear. DH says it's because the car is front wheel drive, or rear wheel drive, can't remember which.

Thank goodness for this thread.

I started driving about 3 weeks ago - having passed my test over a year ago.

Parking and tight spaces are a total nightmare, I reversed into a wall this morning at DS's nursery. Everyone was watching, had to do a 50 point turn to get out...hideous.

I used to parallel park a lot when we had to park on the street and I was very good at it. Now I've a bigger car and less practice, I can't do it for toffee

I always reverse park though. I have a ford galaxy tank and can't get out if I go in forwards, it's the endless stretch of car behind me that gives me the heebee jeebies. I can't see where the bonnet stops so I wait too long before turning and then my back end is about to hit the cars behind!

The car has sensors but I find them a bit erm....sensitive! They sound when I'm really no where near anything and then they go into overdrive at the back when I'm several feet from the back of the space because they allow room to open the boot. That's all fine but with such a big car, my front end is sticking out!

I cannot parallel park to save my life...very annoying when I have to find a space the size of a lorry to park in

I once saw a program on getting people who had failed multiple driving test to pass. There was a bit on parallele parking, which I was not great at if the space was small. I remembered what they said, and it worked, and now I am great at it Do you want me to bother writing it out?

I used to be able to parallel park and reverse park beautifully - while I was learning to drive! It was about 7 years ago. I did one or the other for my test and passed first time, so I must have been passably ok at it. Now, I never do either. I have rear parking sensors too - I just prefer to pull forward into a space, and I live in a rural area where there's plenty of parking, so parallel parking isn't often an issue.

My instructor taught me with some sort of PP drill which involved pulling alongside, lining up wing mirrors with various other bits of the car, and so many half-turns of the wheel. It worked, but as soon as I stopped practising PPs, I forgot the drill. Wish I'd been taught a more intuitive way. Anyway, this thread has convinced me to go out on a sunday and practice!

Marge, yes please! all contributions to saving me from future bodywork costs are very welcome.

Once you have learnt the theory of doing it - plenty of good advice in the posts above - then go to a supermarket car park when it is quiet and use one of the spaces as your target parking space then just keep practicing. This is good because there is no pressure and no traffic waiting behind so you don't get flustered/angry when you get it wrong. It worked for me a few months after I passed my test - until then I had been absolutely crap.

I was taught that when you are reverse parking you should come in at a 30-40 degree angle, look in your side mirror and as soon as the kerb disappears start straightening out. I would add that I can reverse park my giant Ford Galaxy with no trouble, and find parking sensors incredibly annoying...mine are switched off! Took me lots of practise though. About three years.

Right! Here goes. (Assuming the space IS actually big enugh to contain your car!!)

1. Pull up CLOSE alongside the car in front of the space you are trying to get into.
2. Reverse until your BACK wheel passes the end of the car in front, at which point, turn your steering wheel quickly left hand down one FULL turn.
3. continue reversing with the wheel turned left until your front wheel passes the end of the car in front, at which point quickly turn your sterring wheel right hand down TWO full turns.
4. Reverse until you are in.

IT WORKS

thanks marge - it's got to be better than what i'm doing now at any rate.

Get a Nissan Qashqai NTec - reversing camera FTW.

I have been trying to remember how I was taught to parallel park

Pull up alongside a car, about half a car length ahead.

Reverse straight back until your back wheel is level with the back of the other car and then turn the wheel, full lock

When your wing mirror is level with the back of the other car, start to slowly straighten out

Then when you are in the space, move forward whilst turning the wheel toward the kerb to straighten up.

Worked for me again today

I remember being taught something about 20 to and 10 past or 20 past (as in treating your steering wheel as a clock face. Alao you were only supposed to ever move your steering wheel the exact amount but in reverse to end up straight - the logic being obviously that if you started off wheels pointing straight ahead you just had to do the exact counter action to end up straight again.

Do l get the award for the threads most vague, unhelpful post then ??

Also - even !