Parallel parking is a one of the tougher skill to acquire but with practice, you will be able to complete it easily. While it is always easy to do a vertical parking, there may be times where you are left with no choice but to parallel park. Hence the skill is always good to have. Here are some tips.

Step 1:

Stop parallel to the parked car about 1 metre side by side.

Step 2:

When you are able to see the left corner of the blue car from your left quarter window, turn the steering wheel fully to the left and reverse slowly.

Step 3:

Look at your right side mirror and make sure your vehicle is at 45 degrees. Once this is achieved, straighten your steering wheel.

Step 4:

Proceed to reverse slowly. Ensure that the front left of your vehicle has cleared the car in front. Once it has cleared, turn the steering wheel fully to the right and watch over your left shoulder. Continue to slowly reverse into the parking lot.

Step 5:

By this time, your vehicle will be too close to the kerb. If you can control the angle of your side mirror, bring it down so that you can see the left wheel of the vehicle and how close it is to the kerb. Reverse slowly and stop before you hit the kerb. Look at the rear windscreen also to ensure that you do not hit the car behind.

Step 6:

Move your vehicle forward and backwards as required to adjust it into the right position. At all times, move the vehicle slowly and be very aware of where you are going and remember to change to the correct gear to avoid moving in the opposite direction to where you intend to go.

There you go. With practice, you will be able to parallel park your car with ease. Always remember not to panic and move slowly.

There will be times when you feel very sleepy while driving. If this happens, try to find a place to take a break as quickly as possible. But this does not mean you can speed up. Open the window to let the air in as a temporary measure to keep you awake while you head for a safe spot to take a break.

Once you are safely parked, you can take a quick nap if necessary or visit to washroom to wash your face and also walk around to stretch your arms and legs. If you need to take a nap, open the window slightly and avoid parking your car in direct sunlight during the day. Also, remember to turn off your engine and lock the doors.

It is not uncommon to be tempted to try and continue driving especially when your destination is not too far away. But think of the consequences. Falling asleep for even for ONE SECOND can lead to serious or even FATAL accidents!

 

When moving off, you must always make sure that it’s clear and safe. This is one thing that your driving instructor will stress time and time again during your driving lessons. One common mistake that drivers make is to start moving off first, and then look if it’s clear.

Once you are seated in the car, you will be able to see clearly the front view. Your side mirrors will allow you to see most of what is behind the car. However, there will be some areas around the car that you can’t see clearly and need special attention. These are what you call “blind spots”.

A blind spot is an are area on the left and right area of your vehicle that cannot be seen in your mirrors. It could also be hidden by parts of your car’s structure. An example of a blind spot that is caused by the car’s structure is the front windscreen pillars. Some cars have bigger pillars and can hide objects like a bicycle, motorcycle or even a pedestrian. Hence you must always take special care to compensate for blind spots by moving in your seat if necessary in order to get a good view.

When moving off, the blind spots behind your left and right shoulders are very critical

For example, if you look at the diagram you can see that the blue car that is emerging from the junction would not be visible in the mirrors of the red car – if the driver of the red car were to move off without seeing it there could easily be an accident.

To compensate for this blind spot, you will need to check over your right shoulder before moving off from the left-hand side of the road.

When approaching a corner, always, always, slow down and do not attempt to turn the corner at high speed. It is important to note that skidding can occur when you approach a corner. This will definitely occur if there are oil patch or sand on the road. If you notice oil patch or sand, do not panic. Hold your steering wheel firmly and turn the corner calmly, maintaining a constant speed.

Do not apply the brake when negotiating a corner as uneven application may cause the car to swerve. It is advisable that you keep to the left while cornering so as not to collide with any on coming vehicle. Take into account that some drivers approach a corner at high speed and hence their car may veer into your lane.

Maintain constant speed while negotiating the corner and slowly pick up as you get on the straight road.