MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
would be much appreciated !
Trying to get the missus confident enough to drive on her own (passed test 10 yrs ago but never had a car . she's Ok generally but v nervous re the above.
obviously No 1 is don't use your own car!
thanks
Bill
sex change only way to be sure 😉
IGMC
Step back and get her on a pass plus course?
Car park and cones.
Ah...if only you'd asked months ago. We used to have the world's greatest driving instructor posting regularly.
LOL at the above
one hand on top of steering wheel
look back out of rear window
move hand in direction you want the back of the car to go
(STOOOOP! - look at the car in front occasionally too)
IIRC (assuming reverse prallel park)
Line up the car alongside the car in front of the gap you want to reverse in to just less than a doors width away.
When you are in line with the cars driver seat (like for like) one full turn of steering wheel into the kerb.
When you are in line with the rear row of seats of the 'reference car' reverse the previous steering wheel move so wheels are straight.
When you are in line with the beginning of the end of the car turn the steering wheel one full turn away from the kerb.
As you get cose to finishing the manouevre reverse the steering wheel by one full turn so wheels are straight.
Something like this works 80% of the time.
Wing mirrors are key
full lock. The number of drivers I see who are frightened of turning the steering wheel....
yeah, don't try reverse parking in ASDA car park on a Sunday 30 mins before closing time.
Slight variation on Pieface's technique (many ways to skin a cat etc etc)
stop parallel with target car but slightly ahead.
tilt n/s wing mirror down so you can see the rear wheel & kerb (obviously leccy mirrors help here).
reverse till ends of cars are almost level, quick check in blindspot (so you dont swing out and take out passing STW rider commuting to/from work), one turn L.
when car is at 45 degrees (or half past one on clockface if easier to visualise), one turn back (R) so wheels straight.
back in using n/s mirror too check the closing gap between rear wheel & kerb, then another turn R when a good drain width from kerb. Tweak as necessary with more/less R lock using n/s mirror to judge.
look fwd, and just as coming parallel with kerb, one turn L to straighten wheels.
Just keep it sloooooow. Many people rush to finish quickly and it goes pete tong. Just make the impatient buggers wait while you get it right first time!!
Hope that helps.
Rob
Use your mirrors, I know it sounds stupid but I didn't use mine properly for a long time and cudnt get my head around it. Mirrors are the way forward! Took my OH ages to drum it into me but once I got it I managed to reverse park and parallel park perfectly every time, ud be surprised how often people don't bother to use them.
Use your mirrors, I know it sounds stupid but I didn't use mine properly for a long time and cudnt get my head around it.
dead right. There's a huge difference between looking 'at' the mirror and actually looking 'in' the mirror!
Full lock in and full lock to line up. Don't mince about with the steering.
she's passed her test 10 years ago but is SCARED TO DRIVE ON HER OWN?
Get her a retest, get her safe and confident, get her more lessons, even just to evaluate. Standards are different now. It's bad drivers that scare me more than anything on the road, either driving or on a bike, and drivers that are scared? ****! they could do anything!!
Rather than following some list of instructions which will only serve to infuriate when they don't quite work for every parking situation, it's probably better for everyone involved if your o/h develops a sense of how steering in reverse affects the position and motion of the car. I therefore second the carpark & cones idea.
Not that the list of instructions is a bad idea, just that it's generally better if you understand *why* you're doing something, rather than just how to do it.
Steer well clear if you ask me, its a recipe for an argument.
she passed her test 10 yrs ago but as mentioned didn't drive afterwards as she couldn't afford a car. she has however driven with me in the car quite a lot over the last year and is fine apart from the worry re reversing/parking....and there is a lot of reversing in our little devonshire lanes !!
if you understand *why* you're doing something, rather than just how to do it
agree
Empty car park and the looking backwards thing teaches that very quicky I've found (because she'll see the result of moving the wheel). Once learnt she can move to sitting normally & using mirrors v easily
My wife laughs at my reversing, I'm pretty crap (although can back a car and trailer fine), but every car I have I just install a tow bar - no problems then.
As with most driving, observation is key when reversing. Keep calm, take your time, and be aware of what is around you (back, sides and front) at all times. You should be constantly scanning for hazards.
Other that that, practice. No-one taught me to parallel-park, it wasn't part of my test when I took it. I worked it out myself by continually trying to do it, to a point now where I can slot a big car into the smallest of spaces pretty easily, but it's taken a lot of practice to get to that point.
Oh yeah,
And it's probably worth making her aware that in reverse, the front of the car will swing out when you turn. Ooh, demonstrate with a model car maybe?
good idea cougar ...funnily enough I did buy a model car at the car boot sale just for this purpose ...to be able to demonstrate a manoeuvre . I think it's important to be able to visualize things beforehand and knowing how to deal with most situations will boost confidence. At the end of the day though we all know it's down to practice.
Big empty car park on a Sunday. Just tell her to drive like a farmer on a tractor.
Don't try anything fancy, just drive backwards for a bit.