Bay Parking
Step-by-Step
On your actual driving test the examiner will only ask you to perform one of the four manoeuvres which you need to learn and master.
The four manoeuvres are: Turn-in-the-Road, Reverse-into-a-side-Road, Parallel Park and Bay Park.
As you may already appreciate all of the manoeuvres should be carried out slowly by using very strict ‘clutch control’. On all of the manoeuvres carried out on the driving test you will be judged on two things, your Control and your Observation.
Read Through All Of The Steps Before You Commence Any Of The Manoeuvres
Bay Parking
This manoeuvre should be carried out very slowly to demonstrate your control over your vehicle. To achieve this, very careful use of the ‘clutch control’ is needed. Once you have found the ‘bite’ point (this is the point where the vehicle ‘just’ begins to move), keep your foot very still. This is how you will retain full control over the speed of the vehicle. By using the ‘bite’ point you will be able to inch your vehicle backwards ensuring complete control over the speed that you allow your vehicle is to move.
Whilst carrying out this manoeuvre the ‘gas’ just ensures that the engine does not stall – in this particular case the ‘gas’ does NOT control the speed of the vehicle at this time. The clutch however, DOES control the speed of the vehicle. The higher the clutch is allowed to come up the faster the vehicle will move. The lower the clutch is put down, the slower the vehicle will move. The point at where the vehicle engine note just begins to fade. This is what is commonly referred to as the ‘bite’ point.
To begin the exercise, select a quiet area ensuring that you choose a safe and convenient place to stop your car.
Do not commence this exercise until you are sure that it is clear and safe to begin to move and that you will not endanger or inconvenience any other road-users, including pedestrians. If any other road-users are present you need to wait to ensure that it is safe to begin the manoeuvre and if in doubt wait until you are convinced that it is safe to proceed.
Remember that no matter in which direction you are moving your vehicle, forwards or backwards, wait if any pedestrians or cyclists are passing in front or behind your vehicle. This is to ensure complete safety, for example in case your foot inadvertently slipped off one of the pedals.
You should stop your vehicle about two car lengths past the parking bay that you intend to reverse into.
You will need to begin to turn your steering towards the parking bay approximately about one and half bays before you reach the one you want to park in. The commencement of the steering point will vary slightly according to the length and steering lock of the vehicle you are driving.
Remember to carry out the POMPOM exercise. Prepare, Observe, Manoeuvre.
Below are the following steps you need to carry out:
1. Select 1st gear
2. Hand on the handbrake ready to release
3. Set the gas and find the ‘bite’ point
4. Look carefully all round your vehicle (this is especially important in a busy car park) looking for any possibility of movement from nearby vehicles, as well as watching out for pedestrians and cyclists
5. If it is safe to move off, release the handbrake
6. Drive forward and keep your vehicle between a metre and a metre and a half from the end of parking bay box
7. Stop the car. Handbrake on. Select neutral
8. Clutch Down and Select reverse gear
9. Set the gas
10. Clutch up to the ‘bite’ point
11. Hand on the handbrake (ready to release)
12. Check the centre mirror
13. Check your side mirrors AND the blind-spot (over your right shoulder)
14. If it is safe to proceed – release the handbrake (down)
15. Watch over your right shoulder looking towards the parking bay you intend to park in
16. Clutch up to move off normally and drive slowly in reverse gear until you reach the point where you need to turn the steering wheel TOWARDS the parking bay which you intend to reverse into
17. Keep looking around your vehicle as well as checking all of your mirrors
18. When your car reaches a 45 degree angle turn around and look through the rear window over your left shoulder
19. Wait until you ‘feel’ that ‘now’ it is time to begin turning the steering wheel back to straight (to your left) all the time moving the car very slowly under very strict ‘clutch control’
20. Keep a looking around for passing traffic and pedestrians
21. Be prepared to make adjustments to your steering as you enter the parking bay
22. Keep a looking around for passing traffic and pedestrians
23. Manoeuvre the car slowly and gently into the parking bay by watching carefully through the back window to ensure that you are in the centre of the bay
24. Keep a looking around for passing traffic and pedestrians
25. Continue to reverse back until you ‘feel’ that you are completely in the parking bay
26. If you are not quite in the parking bay it may be necessary to move the car forward again to centralise the car in the bay.
27. Make sure that if you move the forward you move the car completely out, by ensuring that all four wheels are out of the bay, to ensure that you maximise your opportunity to be able to make the necessary adjustments
28. When you are completely out of the parking bay to make the adjustment, glance in BOTH side mirrors.
29. If you see that the gap is wider on one side than the other, as you reverse slowly back under very strict clutch control, turn the steering wheel towards the wider gap, until the gap looks even, at this point, quickly straighten the steering wheel. Make any further minor adjustments to the steering wheel if necessary
30. Move back completely into the parking bay and stop
31. Handbrake on (up)
32. Select Neutral and Rest your feet (you can now take your feet off the pedals)
Once you have mastered this exercise the Bay Park exercise should be performed as follows:
If you are on your driving test, you will normally be already parked in a parking bay if it is the beginning of your driving test. The driving test examiner will now say you to ’I would now like you to demonstrate the bay park exercise. Pull out of the bay to the left or to the right. Reverse back into any parking bay. Try to stay within the white lines. Move off when you are ready.’
Alternatively you may be asked to carry out this exercise at the end of the driving test as you arrive back at the driving test centre. If this is the case, the driving test examiner would ask you to stop just as you enter the driving testcentre car park. He will then say similar to the above ’I would now like you to demonstrate the bay park exercise.
Drive forwards into the car park and reverse into a parking bay to the left or to the right. Try to stay within the white lines. Move off when you are ready.’
On the driving test, you will only be asked to park in a parking bay at the driving test centre. You will not be asked to park in a supermarket or retail park car park.
However, for those who already have a full driving licence, or those that want to be able to park their car in any car park which have parking bays, the following method works equally well.
Once you have chosen the parking bay you intend to park in, pull up and stop about a metre to a metre and a half out from the end of the parking bay box and about two car lengths forward of the parking bay. Decide if you need to signal to any other road-users as you stop (if you at the driving test centre this will probably not be necessary). Handbrake on. Select Neutral.
At this point it would be a good idea to adjust your side mirrors downwards so that you can see the wheel arches and the lines showing the edges of the parking bay.
Remember POMPOM. Prepare, Observe, Manoeuvre.
Select Reverse gear ready to move backwards.
Take a good look all round the car being aware of any other road-users such as vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists nearby, and wait if necessary or if in doubt.
As soon as it is clear to move, move the car very slowly backwards under strict clutch control, when you ‘feel’ that you are about a bay and half away from your target parking bay, begin turning the steering wheel to the right.
Keep checking all round your car for passing traffic and pedestrians and cyclists, by looking out of the windows and checking all three mirrors (interior rear view, and both side mirrors)
Allow the car to enter the parking bay under very strict clutch control.
As the car becomes straight, straighten up the steering wheel as well as checking both side mirrors to ensure that you are in the centre of the bay. Make any necessary adjustments to the steering wheel.
Keep checking all round your car for passing traffic and pedestrians and cyclists, by looking out of the windows and checking all three mirrors.
Finally watch through the back window carefully to ensure that you do not go too far back into another vehicle or other obstruction.
If necessary, be prepared to pull your car forward, but completely out of the parking bay with all four wheels. Then checking your side mirrors, turn the steering wheel towards the wider gap, until it looks even, then straighten the steering wheel.
Keep checking all round your car for passing traffic and pedestrians and cyclists, by looking out of the windows and checking all three mirrors.
Finally, again, watch through the back window carefully to ensure that you do not go too far back into another vehicle or other obstruction.
Stop the car. Handbrake on. Select neutral.
Remember if you are going to park and leave your car, to take all your valuables with you, or to lock them securely in the boot of your car. Don’t forget to remove the satellite navigation or iPod too if you have them. Don’t leave anything of value on show for a potential thief.
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