Learn to park

Learning to park is one of the first things you can do to get good at controlling the car. Soon it'll be second nature to reverse, start, stop and guide the car with precision. Here are some steps you can take to acheive better than average parking skills:

Set and measure learning goals

Set an achievable learning goal for parking before you give it a go. 

It might help to tell someone or write down how you think you will go. Later, compare this to how you went.

Learn in increments: take small, achievable steps

Go to a safe and quiet place. Practice the small driving actions that make up parking. Later you will use them to learn to park with precision:

• Drive forward at a slow walking pace
• Drive forward at a slow walking pace whilst steering quickly as if to pull out from a parked position and then into a parked position
• Practise driving slowly and steering in reverse
• If there is room available try driving first to the right and then first to the left
• Drive at a running speed, stop smoothly, and then do the same as above
• Repeat the above steps until they take little effort
• Then take more steps. Get the idea?

Repeat the steps until you find it easy to do. Now, try the next activity.

Practice as a passenger

It's clever to practice even when you're not behind the wheel. Lots of parking knowledge and skills can be learned or practiced without driving. Watch how other drivers park. Talk through their actions in your mind and notice every small part. If they get it wrong make a note of the mistakes they made.Try not to make them yourself.

Practice parking a lot

Where possible, fit parking practice into every driving lesson.

Attend to driving detail

Many good driving habits are connected with parking. Make sure you check your mirrors before indicating, indicate for five seconds, and look over your shoulder before pulling out. These actions will become second nature and you'll become even better at driving on the road.

Gain a wide experience of parking

When one type of parking becomes easy, try doing it in a different place, time, or situation.

Understand the experience

When you have strong thoughts or feeling about a parking experience or situation, talk about them, the effect they have on you, and work out the best thing to do about it.

If there's a problem, fix it

Problems? Make sure you set goals to an achievable level. If you are still having problems after lots of practice, rethink your goal, the steps you're taking, or where or how you're taking them.

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