Parallel Parking - Introduction

You should already be able to teach, or at least have the knowledge to teach, this lesson based on the fact that:

• You are able to do this manoeuvre yourself
  
  
• You have been learning about how to teach
  
  
• The information in DriverActive and Driving Essential Skills coupled with your growing knowledge should be sufficient for you to determine a method.

This manoeuvre is best left until fairly late on in a course, we recommend a minimum of 25 hours training before it is taught. Before tackling this the learner should also have completed angle starts, straight reverse both on the left and right and possibly a bay park manoeuvre. This experience will help ensure that the learner has the control and observation skills that can be transferred, thus making learning this manoeuvre easier.

You can use any method you like to teach this manoeuvre - the easiest would probably be the method that you use yourself when parking, or the method shown in the Part-Two notes for this course. Ensure that your learners can complete this exercise unaided on wide, quiet roads before attempting busier situations.

Observation, control and accuracy

You need to ensure that your pupil can complete the manoeuvre under control, reasonably accurately and with proper observation and consideration for others.

The first control and accuracy criteria during parallel parking requires a driving candidate to complete the manoeuvre without hitting the 'target vehicle'! After that the car should finish reasonably close to the kerb within two car lengths of the target vehicle. With regard to observation, the candidate must make frequent checks (especially the right blind spot) to ensure that the road is clear and it is safe to proceed.

Observation involves more than simply looking around – when we are out-and-about 'instructor spotting' we often see 'nodding dog syndrome'; the learner's head is moving but no real observation takes place. 'Head nodding' is a great start, but drivers must look and act reasonably on what they see.

Consideration for others includes choosing a safe place to complete the manoeuvre and acting reasonably... We occasionally get calls from instructors whose customers have failed their tests for waiting unnecessarily when other vehicles approach; these instructors have felt aggrieved because they teach their learners to "always give way when you are the odd one out". However, this advice is a bit simplistic.

Your customers must be able to judge the actions of others – "Is that driver slowing down to give way to me?" – and then decide to proceed or give way as appropriate while constantly monitoring the situation.

Another important observation and action point is the start of the manoeuvre - ensure that your learners make the proper MSM checks both before. and when pulling up alongside, the target vehicle at the start of this manoeuvre.

Goals

Your goal:

To ensure that your learner understands the reasons for reversing into a parking, can recognise and select a safe space, and is able to park in a gap not longer than two car lengths.

Learner's goals:

To understand the need for parallel parking and:

• Recognise a safe, legal and convenient location

• Ensure that the road is clear before starting the manoeuvre
  

• Maintain full control of the car at all times while parking

• Maintain reasonable accuracy

• Use effective, all around, observation throughout the manoeuvre

• Deal with other road users appropriately

Note that these are generic lesson goals. Individual learners will have specific personal goals and other goals related to different aspects of learning but still relevant to the lesson. The lesson goals shown here are to help you to break down the process and skill into it's component parts.

Next: Example briefing ...