VERTICAL PARKING TIPS

Vertical parking is one the key manoeuvres of the practical test. It is also an essential skill for day-to-day driving. Here is a detailed step-by-step process on how to vertical park well!

Parking:

1. Position the car approximately one door’s length away from the side kerb, and 2-2.5 car lengths away from the parking lot.
2. Signal left and engage the reverse gear. Perform your mandatory safety checks: Check the left side mirror, left and right blind spot, look through the rear view mirror. Once that is done, start reversing slowly
3. Reverse till your back wheel is approximately ½ a car length away from the parking lot. Then make a full left turn on the steering wheel
4. Use your side mirrors to gauge the distance of car from the sides and make adjustments where necessary. Whilst reversing, perform the mandatory safety checks by looking through the rear view mirror and turning your head to look through the rear windscreen
5. The driving test requires the vehicle to be parked with nice, even spacing between the adjacent kerbs. Thus, if the vehicle is not properly in place, perform safety checks, move forward and reverse back in making the necessary adjustments

Exiting the parking lot:

1. Perform safety checks before engaging the forward gear. Drive straight and make sure that kerb has crossed your shoulder before turning out of the lot