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If you get sweaty palms just thinking about parallel parking, trust us, you are not the only one. Many drivers feel the same pressure when they have to align and park the car without causing any damage to other cars.
Parallel car parking is a hard skill to master because of how intricate it is. And yet, it is an essential driving manoeuvre that you must know of to park in tight spaces that you encounter in day to day driving.
Here is all that you need to know about parallel parking, which along with the on-road practice, will help you master the art with ease.
Parallel parking is a method of parking a car in line with other parked vehicles on one side of the road and facing in the same direction as traffic on that side. To do this, one has to slightly drive past the available parking space and pull up next to the parked vehicle, then gradually reverse to fit in the space whilst keeping a safe distance.
This may sound a little tricky, but there is no need to get nervous. With concentration and some practice, one can easily master the technique of parallel car parking.
Being a precise driving manoeuvre, parallel parking hinges on following the right approach. Here are the four steps to parallel park your car.
In parallel parking, you should not just park in the very first space spotted. It requires careful analysis of the available parking space to see if your car will fit there. As a thumb rule, the parking space should be one and a half times the length of your car. Only then should you pull up or else keep looking until a suitable space is available. Once the right spot is found, stop your car parallel to the car you are going to park behind. Maintain a distance of 2-3 feet while doing so.
Next, slowly reverse until the middle part of your car is parallel to the other vehicle's rear bumper. At this point, your car will start changing direction to slot behind the car in front. The benefit of maintaining distance will become evident here; you'll have enough space to reverse without risking any contact between your car and the other vehicle.
Now, cut the steering wheel towards the right to achieve a 45° angle and continue in reverse gear. Then, turn the steering wheel anti-clockwise and continue reversing until your car is perfectly aligned with the rest of the vehicles, and parallel to the wall or divider on the driver's side.
Note: The same approach will be applicable when you are parallel parking your car on the left. In this case, the left side of your car will be parallel to the wall, divider or any such boundary.
The final step is to check if your car is at an equal distance from the cars in front and behind, and the edge of the road. If not, then reposition your car until it is in the center and demonstrates perfectly parallel lines.
Is it surprising for you to see other drivers flawlessly parallel park their car? Here are the 5 must-know parallel parking tips to help you get there.
Always keep your indicator (whether left or right) switched on while you are parallel parking the car to let other drivers know about your intended turn. Remember that this is the only way to communicate with other vehicles on the road. Hence, use your indicators wisely while parallel parking your car.
There are quite a few possibilities of blind spots when parallel parking. Hence, always keep an eye on both using your IRVM (Inside Rear View Mirror) and ORVMs (Outside Rear View Mirror) to check for any risks or obstacles while reversing the car.
Rushing is never a good idea on the road especially when parallel parking. Keeping in line with the thought, slowly and gradually reverse your car as you slot your car into the empty parking space.
Parallel parking is all about how swiftly and smartly you turn the steering wheel whilst having full control of it. Remember to place your hands in the nine and three-position at all times and let the wheel spin freely with both your hands on it as much as possible to maintain good control.
While keeping your car as close to the wall or divider as possible, you also need to ensure that there's ample room left in front and behind for other vehicles to easily pull in and out of their respective parking spaces without the risk of damage.
When the divider or wall is on the driver side while parallel parking, leave enough room for the right side doors to open for you and your co-passengers to get in and out.
Remember, the more you practice using these tips to parallel park, the easier it becomes to master the art without any sweaty palms or the risk of bumping into other parked cars while you are parallel parking your car.
As per the Motor Vehicles Act and the CMVR, a trainee is supposed to master driving skills by spending 10 hours training on the road. It is not easy for a novice to acquire the necessary skill level within such a short span of time. Therefore, to save on the limited time available, Maruti Suzuki Driving School has developed and started using simulators.
Driving on Indian roads can be a challenging experience for a trainee. One needs to deal with a variety of risks and significant pressure while driving on the road. Therefore, it is necessary that a novice learns to master different controls such as steering, pedals and gears, one at a time.
Although this speeds up learning, one cannot learn this while driving a real car. This is because all controls would have to be managed by the trainee simultaneously.
When trainees start using a simulator, they can choose the specific control they wish to practice with. The simulator manages the rest of the controls.
A simulator’s dimensions are designed in such a way that all controls mimic a real Maruti Suzuki car. Therefore, the trainee knows where exactly the pedals are located. For instance, one can identify the gear by just placing one’s hand on the gear level.
As soon as the controls are mastered, the trainee can focus on learning various complicated maneuvers. Some of these include lane changing, overtaking, merging with traffic and driving on roundabouts. This enhances the training experience and substantially develops the trainee’s confidence.
There’s no age for learning, and the scope of learning is always infinite.
When it comes to driving a car, there are certain driving tips for beginners that work equally well for experienced drivers. In order to drive safely and responsibly, it is imperative that you follow the best driving practices – it is beneficial for you, other drivers around you, and the pedestrians on the road.
No matter how seasoned a driver you are, there is always some room for improvement. Here are some simple yet important car driving tips that will help make you a better driver: -
This is one of the most important driving tips that many people, especially beginners, tend to completely ignore. It is extremely important that you position your seat in such a way that you can comfortably operate the pedals, the gear lever, and the steering. At the same time, the seat must be angled in a manner wherein your thighs or back do not get strained.
There is a science behind holding a steering wheel correctly. But, let’s just talk about the thumb rule here. The thumb rule is to hold the steering wheel by placing your hands on 10 and 2 o’clock positions (like in a clock).
Horns and indicators are the two sources of communication that you have with the drivers around you at the time of driving. Both of these must be used liberally and smartly whenever required. Generally, horns are meant to be used for alerting the other cars about your presence.
*A lot of people have the habit of honking the horn profusely at signals or slow-moving traffic to communicate to the car drivers ahead to move faster. It is a wrong practice which should be avoided.*
When you are turning, make sure you use the turn indicators. Even at the time of changing lanes, make sure to use your indicators in the direction of the lane you are moving into. This is one of the most important car driving tips for beginners as well as people who have been driving for years.
While driving in traffic or on the highways, maintain a safe distance from the car in front. But step out and you’ll see that the ground reality is different.
In order to become a better driver, one of the crucial things to follow is to never tailgate. If you closely follow the vehicle in front of you, it decreases your reaction time as well as the space available for manoeuvring, thereby increasing the risk of a collision (which was very well avoidable in the first place).
Let the change begin with you. That's because this is a car driving tip that’ll keep you in good stead.
Driving stress-free is the key to driving better. Concentrate on your manoeuvres at all times when you are behind the steering wheel. Driving with stress can hamper your ability and may result in a mishap.
If you are someone who has a driving test coming up, then one of the best driving test tips to follow is to stay relaxed in order to drive well and stay safe.
Learner or experienced, these car driving tips will surely help you get better at it.
DRIVE WELL. DRIVE SAFE.
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