SuperDriver Learning Centre - Reverse Bay Park
Manoeuvres - Reverse Bay Park into a parking space on the left or right
On your driving test you will be expected to carry out 1 manoeuvre. We don't know which manoeuvre out of the 4 potential manoeuvres you will be asked to do. So you need to be perfect at all 4 of them... just in case. Here we give you a method to Reverse into a Parking Bay on the left or the right.
Regardless that this manoeuvre is a test manoeuvre, you need to know it anyway. Learning how to Reverse into a parking bay is a necessity. In life you will probably need to park between 2 cars or between 2 bay lines.
What do you have to do on test?
This manoeuvre is normally only carried out at the test centre car park but could be conducted in any car park. It could happen at the start or end of your test. Your examiner will ask you to reverse into a parking bay on the left or right. The examiner will not tell you which bay, it is your choice. You must finish inside the lines. If it goes wrong you are permitted to correct it, but any more than one correction and you could fail the whole test.
REVERSE PARKING AT MIDDLEWOOD TEST CENTRE
METHOD 1
The diagram above shows the most popular method at this test centre.
Your starting point is the car furthest left. You may stop here if asked to reverse into a bay.
Decide which bay you will park in. The lines in the diagram above and the different surface colour are visible. You can use this method to park in bays 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Start your full POM routine and if safe drive toward the bays in front of you and steer right. You can drive through the bays. If you choose bay 3 or 4 then you will stay slow and rapid steer full lock right. If you choose bay 5 or 6 start with a full turn only. Line the car up as shown in the diagram. About a foot from the lines. Make sure you are straight. Stop.
Start your POM routine and make sure you are in Reverse. If you lined up well, you should only be using minimal steering whilst reversing. You have to look all around. The important information is in your nearside door mirror. It will show how you are lining up. You may stop if you need to.
As you get close to the kerb and wall behind you, you should look over your right shoulder. Our car has proximity bleepers and a reversing camera, you may look at this to check your parking but you must not stare at it. When you have stopped, secure the car.
If you need to check your parking, you can get out of the car and check all your wheels are inside the lines. If they are not, simply correct the parking whilst driving forward and steering to correct. Then reverse back in a straight line. Remember to use your POM routine at each stage.
METHOD 2
Sometimes method 1 is not available. Maybe only bay 2 is available. This is the alternative.
Your starting point is the car furthest left. You may stop here if asked to reverse into a bay.
Decide which bay you will park in. The lines in the diagram above and the different surface colour are visible. You can use this method to park in bays 2, 3 and 4.
Start your full POM routine and if safe drive forwards and to the right, you are looking to keep a car length from the bays on your left. Usefully there is a wall with what looks like goal posts. Position your car forwards towards the wall with your offside wheels lined up with the left hand goal post.
Start your POM routine and now select reverse. In our Renault Zoe training car we have placed a sticker on the nearside door. Line the sticker up with a bay line.
If you want to park into bay 2 line the sticker up with the bay line on the right hand side of bay 4.
If you want to park into bay 3 line the sticker up with the bay line on the right hand side of bay 5.
If you want to park into bay 4 line the sticker up with the bay line on the right hand side of bay 6.
So you see this method parks you into a bay 3 bays away as in the diagram.
When you have lined up, slow car and steer left full lock rapidly.
Keep looking around. Your left door mirror is key. It will show that you are parking between the lines, looking forwards will help you realise when your car is almost straight. When it is straight, straighten your steering.
As you get close to the kerb and wall behind you, you should look over your right shoulder. Our car has proximity bleepers and a reversing camera, you may look at this to check your parking but you must not stare at it. When you have stopped, secure the car.
If you need to check your parking, you can get out of the car and check all your wheels are inside the lines. If they are not, simply correct the parking whilst driving forward and steering to correct. Then reverse back in a straight line. Remember to use your POM routine at each stage.
METHOD 3
This method is the most unlikely to happen.
IF it does it will be at the start of your driving test.
So let's imagine you are in bay 4 as shown in the diagram above and you are asked to bay park into another bay.
Try to select the bay next to you. Start your POM routine and drive ahead steering to the direction of the bay you want. Use the lines on the road to position your car ready for a straight line reverse into the bay next to yours. Come to a stop.
Start your POM routine and make sure you are in Reverse. If you lined up well, you should only be using minimal steering whilst reversing. You have to look all around. The important information is in your nearside door mirror. It will show how you are lining up. You may stop if you need to.
As you get close to the kerb and wall behind you, you should look over your right shoulder. Our car has proximity bleepers and a reversing camera, you may look at this to check your parking but you must not stare at it. When you have stopped, secure the car.
If you need to check your parking, you can get out of the car and check all your wheels are inside the lines. If they are not, simply correct the parking whilst driving forward and steering to correct. Then reverse back in a straight line. Remember to use your POM routine at each stage.
REVERSE PARKING AT HANDSWORTH TEST CENTRE
REVERSE PARK LEFT
IF you have not completed a manoeuvre on your test, you know you will be asked to reverse into a parking bay at the test centre.
As your enter the test centre car park position your car in the middle of the parking bays as shown in the diagram. This represents just short of a car width from the bays on your left and right.
Decide which bay you will park in. In this case we are parking into a bay on the left.
Start your POM routine and now select reverse. In our Renault Zoe training car we have placed a sticker on the nearside door. Line the sticker up with a bay line.
So you see this method parks you into a bay 3 bays away as in the diagram.
When you have lined up, slow car and steer left full lock rapidly.
Keep looking around. Your left door mirror is key. It will show that you are parking between the lines, looking forwards will help you realise when your car is almost straight. When it is straight, straighten your steering.
As you get close to the kerb behind you, you should look over your right shoulder. Our car has proximity bleepers and a reversing camera, you may look at this to check your parking but you must not stare at it. When you have stopped, secure the car.
If you need to check your parking you can get out of the car and check all your wheels are inside the lines. If they are not, simply correct the parking whilst driving forward and steering to correct. Then reverse back in a straight line. Remember to use your POM routine at each stage.
REVERSE PARK RIGHT
IF you have not completed a manoeuvre on your test, you know you will be asked to reverse into a parking bay at the test centre.
As you enter the test centre car park position your car in the middle of the parking bays as shown in the diagram. This represents just short of a car width from the bays on your left and right.
Decide which bay you will park in. In this case we are parking into a bay on the right.
Start your POM routine and now select reverse. In our Renault Zoe training car we have placed a sticker on the nearside door. Line the sticker up with a bay line.
So you see this method parks you into a bay 3 bays away as in the diagram.
When you have lined up, slow car and steer right full lock rapidly.
Keep looking around. Your left door mirror is key. It will show that you are parking between the lines, looking forwards will help you realise when your car is almost straight. When it is straight, straighten your steering.
As you get close to the wall behind you, you should look over your right shoulder. Our car has proximity bleepers and a reversing camera, you may look at this to check your parking, but you must not stare at it. When you have stopped, secure the car.
If you need to check your parking you can get out of the car and check all your wheels are inside the lines. If they are not, simply correcting the parking whilst driving forward and steering to correct. Then reverse back in a straight line. Remember to use your POM routine at each stage.
USE OF STICKERS
Reference points and stickers are not perfect and may need a little adjustment for you. It's a quick and easier way of completing the manoeuvre and helping you get used to what you should see when reversing into a parking space. It is easier when parking between 2 cars as the cars have height. Be careful when parking between 2 cars, sometimes those cars have not parked very well. They may not be inside their bay, reducing your space!
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AUTOMATIC CARS AND MANUALS