[Music] Hello I'm Chris. In this video I'm going to show you how to reverse park
or parallel park using the one two one method. But it also involves seeing an
imaginary pizza slice in the side mirror. You'll have to bear with me on this one.
The objective for this on the driving test is to safely park within two car lengths behind
the other vehicle, reasonably close and parallel to the kerb.
Moving the left hand mirror down slightly before you start will help and you're allowed to do
this on the driving test too, just remember to put it back up after you finish the manoeuvre.
Make sure it's clear and safe before starting as we don't want to get in the way of anyone
if possible. Now drive reasonably close and get your car straight alongside the other vehicle.
This will help others get past if they want to. Stop once your left hand mirror is roughly lined
up with the front of the other vehicle, making sure your front wheels are pointing straight.
Select reverse so that the white reverse lights are on behind. This shows others what you're going
to be doing. Now it's essential that you observe all around to make sure it's safe to reverse.
Starting with the blind spot over your right shoulder, check all around and finish by
looking over your left shoulder through the rear window. If no one's nearby, then slowly
start reversing in a straight line until the back of the other vehicle is roughly lined up
with the left hand door pillar and then stop. The other vehicle might be facing the other way, in
which case you'd get the very front of the other vehicle roughly lined up with the door pillar.
It's really important at this point to have another proper all-round check. Starting over
your right shoulder at the blind spot, all round and finishing by looking over your left shoulder
through the rear window. This check is important because we're about to turn into the space and the
front of the car is going to swing out. As long as you're sure there's no other road users nearby
slowly reverse and steer a whole one turn to the left. Not maximum full lock, just one turn.
Keep observing all around for others, over your right shoulder, ahead, left shoulder,
through the rear window and stop if anyone gets near you. But if they stop, observe all around
and continue if it's safe. Eventually you will see this in the left-hand door mirror, of course
an imaginary slice of pizza. You can stop here for a moment if you want to make it easier.
It's basically where the kerb disappears into the car forming this triangle shape.
Now there are different methods around to do this manoeuvre but using your own judgment is the best,
but that can take time and experience to build up. If for now imagining a slice
of pizza at this crucial point helps, then that's great. With the car hardly moving,
steer two whole quick turns to the right. The car might speed up as you go downhill
into the gutter so use clutch control and brake to keep it slow. The side mirror is so useful
but you've got to be careful not to stare at it. You need to constantly observe around for others.
Stop if anyone gets near you, but if they stop and it's safe, check all around and continue. Now
I can see in the mirror that it's getting really close to the kerb but I can still see a little bit
of road so it should be okay. Once the car's in and it feels straight with the vehicle in front,
steer one whole quick turn to the left to straighten the wheels while hardly moving the car.
Now I'll stop parking brake on and select neutral.
And that's the one two one method. One to the left,
two to the right and one to the left. But there really isn't a get it perfect the same every time,
golden method of reverse parking. You will need to use your judgment too in case it's going wrong.
That's the good thing about having the left hand mirror down slightly is that you can see
if you need to steer more or less. For example if you're going to hit the kerb. Let's try it
again but this time I'll show you what to do if it's going wrong. Make sure it's safe
drive alongside the other vehicle, reasonably close and parallel with it.
The left hand mirror is roughly lined up with the front of the other vehicle.
Straight into reverse, check all around to make sure it's safe. Starting with the blind spot,
over my right shoulder, all around and finishing with looking over my left shoulder
through the rear window. No one approaching, so reverse until the very back of the other vehicle
is roughly lined up with the passenger door pillar. Stop. Must check all around again.
Still safe. As soon as I move I'll turn the steering wheel one whole turn to the left,
quick turn, slow driving. Observing all around for others, including the rear window.
Stop if anyone gets near you, but continue if it's safe, as long as you've checked all around again.
Well it looks similar in the mirror to what I had earlier, but it's hard to get it exactly the same.
Now with the car hardly moving, two quick turns to the right.
I can see too much road between the car and the kerb. Rather than waiting for the car to get
straight, I should start to steer towards the kerb now or I'll be too far from it.
I'm looking at this part of the car, at the door handle and it's kind of overhanging the kerb,
also I can't see much road down here
so the back of the car looks okay. If I steer right now, that will bring the front in. The car
looks straight with the vehicle in front, just need to straighten the wheels back to the left.
So that's how you can correct it if it's going far from the kerb. But you can always pull forward and
bring it in if you need to, although on a driving test you might get a driving fault for doing this.
This time I'm steering two to the right too late. I can see in the mirror that I'm going to hit the
kerb as I can't see much road I've steered maximum full lock to the right but it's still going to
touch the kerb. As I can't see any road, rather than bumping the kerb and then possibly failing
my whole driving test and maybe damaging the wheel I'll make sure it's safe and pull forward.
Steering left as I drive forward creates space between the back wheel and the kerb.
This will be a driving fault on the test but at least it won't be a serious fault.
Make sure it's safe. Reverse back in using the mirror to help but don't stare at it. I'll just
wait for this car and while I'm waiting I'll check all around to make sure it's safe to continue.
The back of the car is close to the kerb, so I'll steer to the right to get the front in.
Now the car's straight, so I'll straighten the steering back to the left.
The best way to park is using a mixture of method
and your own judgment but this takes practice and experience.
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Thanks a lot for watching. Keep safe on the road and bye for now!
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