Parking your car can be frustrating, and some tips to improve your parking skills will go a long way in making the maneuver effortless.
When driving, you must remember all parking techniques, and how to handle each since you can’t tell the kind of parking space you will come across.
Practicing your parking skills ensures you master every technique of navigating into a parking space.
You may be wondering, how do I improve my parking skills?
Let’s get started with these quick tips.
How to Improve Your Parking Skills
1. Keep Practicing
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When looking forward to perfecting your parking skills, you shouldn’t get tired of practicing. It helps in building your confidence when in parking spaces.
You can use an open parking space in your area to practice, and using cones for parking will help measure the average parking width.
Practice will help you overcome anxiety when parking, especially with parallel parking that troubles most drivers. If you are a new driver, practice parking under supervision to avoid collisions and other minor accidents.
2. Choose the Right Spot
Locating a suitable parking space will help in effortless parking as your car will fit well. Ensure the parking space is large enough to fit your car. If you park in a smaller space you might end up messing up with other cars.
Don’t fix your car in the first space you see; look for another space you may find more spacious than the first one. You can drive to other rows if you find the spots in that row smaller than your car.
Remember to check on the safety of the parking space especially if you are practicing alone. Additionally, leave out reserved parking spaces to avoid trouble with the law.
3. Know the Size of Your Vehicle
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Before hitting the road, always remember your car size to avoid approaching a squeezed parking space. The parking space for a compact car isn’t the same as that of a seven-seater.
Knowing the size helps you maneuver comfortably and easily to the parking lot. If you don’t know the size of the space, use a cone or get a friend to guide you in the parking space to ensure you leave a few inches from the wall, and if it’s parallel parking, you can leave a good space between cars.
If you are using a friend’s car, ensure you walk around before you drive. Check the positioning of the bumper and the rear wheels, and you will have easier control over it.
4. Set the Mirrors Correctly
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Setting your mirrors in the correct position is the first thing you should do after getting into your car. They minimize blind spots making your navigation easier.
Move your side mirrors to an angle that expands your sightlines. Sit in a position that allows you to be even with the window.
The rearview mirror will help you check that no cars are approaching when parking and you can see if the next car is moving out whether you are reversing or getting into the parking space.
Use the wing mirrors to check for blind spots on the parking side and check whether there’s a pedestrian or motorcycle or bike trying to overtake you.
5. Understand the Parking Dimensions
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Parking spaces vary in dimensions, and you must get familiar with them when approaching a parking space. In New York, the minimum parking space should have an aisle width of 10”-0” and 8-6”x 24’-0” spacing.
Once you are familiar with the dimensions, you can effortlessly tell the right one for your car as you can easily visualize it in your mind. Practice in a parking space with the largest dimensions if you are a beginner.
The best part is parallel parking dimensions are spacious and will give you an easy time especially if you are parking in a less crowded parking space. Knowing the dimensions will help you park in places without painted lines.
6. Align Your Car
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When parking your car, remember to align your mirrors in the right position. With perpendicular parking ensure that your car is at the center of the bay. Let the mirror appear at the center of your driving position for easy maneuvering.
If you are reverse parking the best angle is aligning your car’s rear with the line next to the space you want to park in.
For parallel parking, remember to use the car behind you as a reference and leave a reasonable space to allow you to get out of the parking space easily. Check our article on the rules for parallel parking.
7. Get Help From a Driving Instructor
If you are struggling with parking your car even after practicing and using the above tips. You can consider getting an instructor to help. A good instructor will help you master the skill even if it means scheduling extra sessions.
Talk to your instructors about your fears for example if parallel parking is giving you a hard time and he will focus more on it.
Check out our article on the qualities of a good driving instructor near you. Remember to register for lessons in our driving school, where we have experienced instructors to help you master parking skills.
8. Use Technology
Sometimes mastering driving skills can be hard, and you can go for the last option which is using technology. The best part is most car manufacturers have designed cars to offer parking support.
The parking sensors will alert you whenever you get close to an object which will keep you from colliding with other cars. The rearview cameras will help when squeezing into a tight spot since you can know the space to leave between cars.
Some modern cars have backup cameras and parking guidance for easier maneuvering in the parking space.
Final Thoughts
Parking can be tough, and some people can’t make the maneuver, especially with parallel parking. Don’t worry with more practice and incorporating the above tips you will soon park like a pro. If you are a beginner, remember to start with easy spots especially empty parking spaces if you don’t have someone to assist you.
A driving instructor will be glad to help you master your parking skills. Talk to them about your fears for better results. All the best as you master great parking skills.