Do you struggle to parallel park? If so, you’re not alone.
According to new figures, almost half of UK drivers admit to driving further away from their destination to avoid having to pull off the manoeuvre and more than one in 10 refuse to parallel park altogether.
But with a raft of parking aids now widely available on new cars, from sensors to reversing cameras, we’ve taken a look at how much extra you have to pay to spare your parking blushes.
And if your parallel parking phobia is too much to bear, new driving aids in many vehicles will identify a space and steer the car into the spot for you. All you need do is control the throttle.
New research by UK company, OSV, an independent vehicle supply group, revealed that 47 per cent of British motorists are willing to drive further away from where they want to go to avoid parking their car in a parallel spot.
A survey of 1000 drivers also found that 15 per cent won’t parallel park at all, preferring to circulate the area in search of a spot they can drive straight into, in some cases even paying to park in a more accessible space.
Even those who try to parallel park do so with limited success.
The motorists quizzed said it would take five attempts on average to successfully negotiate their vehicle into a vacant space — quite concerning considering it is one of the manoeuvres you’re expected to perform in the practical driving test.
OSV said parallel parking woes could be down to panicking in front of other road users.
Three quarters of those asked said the pressure of having another driver waiting for them to complete a parallel park makes them nervous and puts them off trying it.
“I think that everyone has experienced the panic of parking poorly in front of an audience,” OSV joint-company director, Andrew Kirkley said.
“An inability to parallel park can be a real disadvantage though, especially if you regularly visit the suburbs.
“Once you’ve properly mastered the art it’s with you for life and can help to save time, money and stress.”
Parking doesn’t need to be problematic, if you’ve got the right technology fitted to your car.
-Daily Mail