Driving test question

Prolly a stupid question, but is parallel parking part of the test?  My wife just plain can't do it, she is afraid if it is she will not be able to pass.

She has a 1 in 3 chance of it NOT being a part of her particular test. The rules are:

The examiner may require you to undertake two of the following manoeuvres and optionally the emergency stop:

- Reverse parking behind a parked car or into a parking bay. (Parallel parking)
- Reversing round a corner.
- Turn in the road

So, time to get practising!

For the record, I didn't get reverse parking on my test (11 years ago), for which I'm eternally grateful, as I was - and still am - completely rubbish at it!

from what i'm told.  YES.

SO, my trick for parallel parking.  Just pull up till your mirror matches the car in front of you's mirror. Throw it into reverse and as you reverse turn the wheel.  I have not messed up one parallel parking spot ever since learning to drive 11 years ago.  well, there was once when i came close to a tree i didn't see.    

what about it can't she do?

My experience mirrors Big Ridge's -- was told the same thing, however, I didn't have to parallel park; I had to do the other two.

i have no factual proof other than a few people telling me....so, i'll add input when and if i ever take mine.   

I got to be an expert at parallel parking as we had on-road parking. I got to where I could park pretty darn good.....and a good thing, that maneuver and one other (practiced for the first time....15 minutes before the actual test- reversing around a corner!) were on the test!! whew......

Aimloo is right- just line it up with the mirrors, and as luck would have it, your side mirrors are not showing images larger than they appear! That makes a world of difference when you are backing up!

It's part of the test -- BUT -- they may not make her do it.
I was VERY surprised by all the stuff that I reviewed with my instructor -- (Instructor Steve  )  and I did maybe -- 1/3 of it during the actual test.  (Much to my relief!) 

Another thing that got me was how soooooooooooooo many people kept telling me that it's "normal" not to pass the test on the first try -- but I did!   

I have less than two months to take a few lessons and pass my test...   errrr!..been driving though and have a car... but my year is almost up now.

the parallel parking I was worried about, being the opposite side of car...but, I have had to do it several times now and have found it no problem at all...  not sure about the lineups though, just auto do it...

keep her at practising it...  find some cones and get her to keep at it until she feels comfortable doing it....good luck

BTW when you do have to parallel park for the test you will not be doing it between two cars , just behind one. You have to fit your car in a space that is as long as two car lengths behind the car in front. It is actually quite a bit of room so not as hard as even the worst parallel parkers (i.e. ME) think.  Is she having some lessons with an instructor before her test? That would probably be for the best, just to help her learn the technique and feel relaxed.  Although women (statistically) are better drivers it is also proven that women are much worse at doing anything in reverse. It is just the way most of our brains work. So a little bit of help from a professional would be for the best.

Tell her to remember she has 5 whole minutes to complete any manouveur so take her time and relax.  She doesn't have to do it all in one try either.  Remember on all her manouvers "s..l...o...w car, fast hands" Reax, get the car literally creeping along and she will do just fine.


Rosie

Ok. heres your answer. Every practical test is different. For example. Every 5th test the examiner must ask the driver to make an emergency stop. Also for example there is a question about your car ie. where do you put the oil? The examiner will take a book and flip to a question and you will have to answer it. The next applicant will have a different question. Also you will definately have a vision test which Im very surpised I passed. I had to read a licence plate from across the street. I normally wear glasses/contacts but I didnt wear them for the test because I didnt want a restricted licence. I didnt have to parallel park on my test but I did have to back into a marked parking place. I also had to do a three point turn. I also didnt have to do the emergency stop. Each test is different but I would make sure your wife knows how to parallel park just in case its in her test. The reason I know all this is because when I took my test I was 8 months pregnant and I asked if I would have to make an emergency stop. I was told if it were the examiners 5th test then I would have to. I got lucky and didnt have to do it.
Best of luck
Pebbles

Thanks everyone, all the suggestions are very helpful.  We haven't made the big move yet, just getting all the questions out of the way and preparing mentally for the changes.  This was one of the questions that came up.  She is completely convinced that she can't do it, and will always find a parking place she won't have to.  5 minutes per maneuver sounds like a big help too.  We are both planning on taking lessons to get us prepared for the test.

Do you both already drive stick shift?  The regular test here in the UK, is in stick shift,, altho you can request to take it in automatic,, but will only be able to drive automatic (no big loss to me,,lol) I took about 400 quid's worth of lessons before I realized that if I want to  be moble, taking the test in automatic, will be better than nothing I am more concerned about the hill starts than anything else. 

She is completely convinced that she can't do it, and will always find a parking place she won't have to. 

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahaha! Ha! hahahahahahaha!

<wiping tears of mirth from my eyes>



Taking the lessons is a great idea for both of you. There are so many tiny things that are different about driving here - even how you use your clutch, brake and emergency brake. I think taking a few instructions and working out the americanisms and bad habits is always adviseable. Have her call around instructors and find someone she is comfortable with. Her instructor should make her feel  relaxed and will make sure she is prepared before she takes/schedules her test.  

Rosie

Her instructor should make her feel  relaxed and will make sure she is prepared before she takes/schedules her test. 

Yep,, they should, and the two instructors I have had failed miserably on that. Don't be afraid to 'fire' one that yells at you,, I did,,lol.

Yes, take some lessons if you can possibly afford it.  I just passed yesterday--on the first try--and I would never have done so without taking about 15 hours of lessons, despite driving for 22 years in the US.  There are indeed a thousand tiny things that are different about driving here...unwritten rules about when/where you look, the exact method of using the mirrors, even some stuff about gear-changing.  And especially the use of the emergency brake. 

They also do not allow hand-over-hand steering...and when backing up, you are not allowed to brace yourself on the back of the passenger seat and steer with one hand.  You somehow have to crane your neck all the way around, steer with two hands and still manage to do the clutch and brake correctly.  I spent the majority of my lesson time unlearning these habits--correct in New Jersey, at least when I got my license, but wrong in Britain. 

On the test, I was asked to do a 3-point turn (they call it "turn in the road") and backing around a corner.   I also had to do a hill start and a zillion roundabouts, but they did not ask me to parallel park or do the emergency stop.  (I suspect I didn't have to do the emergency stop because of the skidding danger--the road was pretty wet.)  The test took every nerve-racking second of 45 minutes, but at the end I got a pass with 6 minor mistakes.  (You're allowed 15 so that was pretty good.)

I did one of those intensive driving courses--expensive, but I wanted to get the whole thing over with quickly.  When my instructor met me at the train station, he said to me, "At the end of this course you're going to think I'm a right bastard, but if the test is passed, I don't care."  I wouldn't go so far as to say he was a right bastard, but he definitely fit the criteria for "drill sargeant."  Good-natured, but very tough on me.  Of course, when I passed I immediately forgave him everything.