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Of all the components of the practical driving test, the one that tends to strike the most fear into the hearts of learners is the reversing manoeuvre they’ll need to complete. One such manoeuvre is bay parking—both forward and reverse. If you’re still a bit unsure about bay parking, we’ve got everything you need to know.

In this guide, we’ll cover the bay parking manoeuvre: how to perform it, what the examiner will be looking for, and when it might be used in real-life situations.

What is Bay Parking?
Introduced to the driving test in December 2017, the bay parking manoeuvre is one of the most important you’ll need to master, considering how often you’ll need to use car parks in everyday driving. As such, it’s crucial that you get comfortable with it.

There are two types of bay parking, and you could be asked to demonstrate either during your test:

• Forward bay parking: where you drive into a parking bay and then reverse out. On your test, this can be done in any car park, including the driving test centre car park.
• Reverse bay parking: where you reverse into a parking bay and then drive out. The examiner will usually ask you to do this in the driving test centre car park.

There is a 1-in-3 chance that you will be asked to complete the bay parking manoeuvre during your practical test. The instructions might sound like this:

• Forward bay parking:
  “I’d like you to drive forward into any parking bay on the left or right (if the car park permits), finishing within the lines… Now I’d like you to reverse out either to the left or right (again, if the car park allows it).”
• Reverse bay parking:
  “I’d like you to reverse back into any parking bay on the left or right (if the car park permits), finishing within the lines… Now I’d like you to drive out of the bay either to the left or right (again, if the car park allows it).”

What is the examiner looking for?

The examiner will be closely observing how well the candidate controls and manoeuvres the vehicle in a restricted space, paying particular attention to their use of the clutch, accelerator, and handbrake. The learner will need to demonstrate good judgement when selecting a parking space and positioning the vehicle. The examiner will also be looking out for the learner's observations while driving forward, reversing in, and driving out or reversing out.

Whether you’re asked to complete the forward or reverse bay parking manoeuvre, the examiner will expect you to demonstrate:

• All-around checks and observations: Car parks are busy places with pedestrians and moving traffic, so you'll need to follow your MSM (Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre) routine and stay aware of your surroundings.
• Good judgement throughout the manoeuvre: It’s your responsibility to select a suitable parking bay and manoeuvre into it accurately, ensuring you stay within the bay lines when reversing in and driving out, or driving in and reversing out.
• Control of the vehicle: You should maintain a low and controlled speed, not just because you're in a car park but also because it makes manoeuvring much easier. Be careful with the clutch, accelerator, and brakes.

During your bay parking manoeuvre, you could pick up faults for poor control, lack of observations, or weak planning.

Bay Parking Pro Tip:
Candidates are not allowed to drive through one parking bay and then park in the bay directly in front of it. Similarly, when reversing out, you can't move into any bays behind you.

You are allowed to make adjustments during the manoeuvre. For instance, if you’re driving into a parking bay but feel you're not quite aligned with the lines, you can reverse and correct your position.

1. Pick a bay

The examiner will ask you to drive forward into a parking bay, either in the driving test centre car park or another car park of their choosing. It’s entirely up to you to select a bay. Don’t rush and pick the first one you see—take your time and ensure you give yourself plenty of space to manoeuvre.

As you enter the car park, be mindful of any arrows indicating a one-way system or bays where parking is prohibited.

While you can choose a bay on either the left or right, it’s often easier to select a bay on the right. This allows you to give yourself more room and avoid driving against the flow of traffic.

If possible, aim for a bay that doesn't have cars parked on either side. This will make it easier to park within the lines and improve your visibility.

Take it slow—keep your speed down and stay alert for any pedestrians or other vehicles.

2. Start to move and find your reference point

Once you've selected a bay, you’ll need to give yourself enough room to turn and make constant observations to ensure it's safe to carry out the manoeuvre. Move as far left as possible to give yourself space to turn—unless you're restricted by obstacles like parked cars.
If you're driving into a bay on the left, you’ll need to move to the right to create enough space—be mindful of any oncoming traffic.
Check your left/right-hand mirrors and blind spots for pedestrians or other vehicles, then indicate to show your intention.

As you approach your chosen bay, watch for your reference point/point of turn. Your instructor will have shown you this during your lessons. Although it varies by car, this reference point is typically when the first line of the bay appears under your left/right-hand mirror.

Bay Parking Pro-Tip:
Unsure about the reference points in your instructor's car? It's important to know them—ask your instructor to go over them during your lessons before your practical test. If necessary, they might add a marker or tape on the dashboard to help you spot your reference points more easily.

3. Steer quickly and move at a slow pace

Once you've identified your reference point, you're nearly ready to turn into your chosen parking bay. Remember, all-around checks are crucial here—don’t skip them! Before making your right/left turn, check your interior and right/left-hand mirrors, as well as your blind spots. If everything is clear, you're good to go. If not, wait for any pedestrians or vehicles to move.

Start moving off slowly, maintaining control of your clutch and accelerator, and steer quickly with full right/left lock.

As you turn into the bay, straighten the vehicle. It's helpful to keep an eye on your dashboard and align it with the horizon or a nearby fence.

Stop the car when you reach your next reference point, such as when the bay line is under your door mirror. If you're not quite within the lines, take your time to adjust. Once you're satisfied, select neutral and apply your handbrake.

4. Reverse out of the bay

Now that you're in the bay, there's just one more step to complete the manoeuvre: reversing out. As always, observations are key—while your reverse lights will alert pedestrians to your intentions, they may not always take notice. It's therefore your responsibility to stay vigilant of your surroundings. Start by selecting reverse gear and getting ready to release the handbrake. Do your all-around checks, focusing on the road you're reversing into, and begin to slowly move out. Be prepared to stop at any moment for other vehicles.

Once you reach your reference point (for example, when the start of the bay line lines up with your side door), gently turn the wheel either left or right, depending on the direction you intend to drive off in.

When you're clear of any nearby vehicles, turn the wheel fully and stop once you have enough room to drive off.

Select first gear, then check your blind spots and mirrors for any other road users. Once you're sure it's clear, you're good to go and can drive out of the car park.

And now, onto the reverse bay parking manoeuvre...

1. Pick a bay

The examiner will ask you to reverse into a parking bay, usually in the driving test centre car park (although on rare occasions, they may choose a different car park). It's up to you to choose which bay to reverse into. Take your surroundings into account when selecting a bay—aim for one with plenty of space. Ideally, pick a bay that doesn’t have vehicles on either side. The more space you have, the less you'll need to worry about when reversing in.

Position your vehicle closer to the centre of the road to make the turn easier and give yourself a better chance of staying between the lines. If you're too close to the bays, you'll have less room to manoeuvre.

Keep your speed slow—not only because you're in a car park with other road users but also because rushing can lead to mistakes.

Once you've selected a bay, pull up about two car lengths past it and get ready to reverse to your point of turn.

2. Find your point of turn and steer quickly

You'll now need to reverse your car up to your point of turn. While this can vary depending on the vehicle, your reference point is usually when the third line from the bay you're aiming for aligns with your side door. Once your point of turn is in line with your door, you're ready to start reversing into the parking bay.

There's no need to apply the handbrake or stop completely, but doing so can help slow you down, giving you more control over the manoeuvre.

Before you begin turning to the left or right, make sure to check your surroundings thoroughly. All-around checks are crucial—remember to check your blind spots and rear windscreen.

When you're ready to turn, steer quickly and use full-lock to the left (or right if you're reversing into a bay on the right).

3. Get into the bay and adjust

Now it's time to reverse your car into the bay and make any necessary adjustments to ensure the vehicle stays within the lines. Take it slow—if you reverse at a steady pace, you'll be able to make small adjustments as you go. If you reverse too quickly, you may need to drive forward and reverse back in to correct your position.

As you're reversing into the bay, continue checking your surroundings, including your blind spot and rear windows. If you spot any pedestrians or vehicles, stop the car and wait for them to pass.

Soon enough, you'll notice the first line of the bay in your left-hand (or right-hand) mirror. Keep an eye on it to judge your distance. As you continue reversing, the second line will align with your right-hand (or left-hand) mirror, allowing you to quickly assess whether you're within the lines or not.

4. Finish and move off

Now it's time to straighten up and make any necessary adjustments to ensure you're within the bay lines. Once you're happy with your position, the examiner will tell you when to move off. Keep checking your side mirrors—when the bay lines are parallel to your vehicle, it's time to straighten the steering wheel—about one and a half turns should do the trick.

If you're slightly outside the lines, you're allowed to make adjustments. Steer towards the line you need to get closer to, or drive forward and reverse back into the bay.

Remember, hitting the kerb is an instant fail, so keep your speed slow and steady. Once you're happy with your position, stop the car, apply the handbrake, and select neutral.

When you're given the go-ahead by the examiner, shift into first gear, indicate left or right, and carefully drive out of the parking bay.

When are bay parks used in real life?

The real question should be, “When wouldn’t you need to bay park in real life?”. Once you've got your driving licence, you'll soon be taking your skills out on the roads around the UK—perhaps even planning a road trip or two. An important part of everyday driving, however, is knowing how to park safely. Whether you're popping into your local shop or parking at work, being able to park forwards or in reverse in a bay is essential.

If possible, you might find it easier to use the reverse bay parking manoeuvre rather than the forward one. This is because driving forward out of a parking bay is generally much safer—and easier—than reversing out (though if you've mastered both, it should be a breeze!).

Do I need to indicate when carrying out the manoeuvre?
While the examiner will try to avoid car parks with heavy traffic, you're still likely to encounter other road users when performing your bay parking manoeuvre. As such, you need to take necessary precautions to ensure other road users know what you're planning to do. Indicating makes it easier for others to know which direction you're turning in.

How big is a parking space?
The recommended standard bay size is around 2.4m wide and 4.8m long. This should give you more than enough room to manoeuvre your vehicle into the bay and get your wheels relatively straight.

Why do I need to learn how to bay park?
Whether you're heading to work, popping into the shop, or pretty much visiting anywhere, you'll need to use a car park. If you don't know how to bay park once you've passed your test, you'll be in for a few nasty surprises!

What are the odds I'll be asked to bay park on my test?
You've got a 1 in 3 chance of being asked to complete the bay parking manoeuvre. This means you can't just leave it to chance and hope you'll be asked to demonstrate another one—you need to make sure you're comfortable with bay parking.

What other manoeuvres are there?
Other than bay parking, there are two other manoeuvres that the examiner might ask you to demonstrate on your practical test:

• Pulling up on the right
• Parallel parking at the side of the road

Will I fail if I can't park in a bay?
Manoeuvres are an important component of the practical test. If the examiner feels like you're showing a lack of judgement or control whilst carrying out the manoeuvre, it's likely that you'll pick up a major fault—meaning you'll fail. Don’t worry too much about this. Instead, remember, slow and steady wins the race—you’re allowed to make adjustments if you feel like you’re off by a bit.

Do I have to get the vehicle completely straight?
No. This is just one of the many driving test myths out there. Providing you have made an attempt to straighten the front wheels, the examiner won’t be too concerned if the wheels aren’t entirely straight. Plus, you can make adjustments along the way to straighten up if you need to.

Do I have to complete the manoeuvre in one move?
No. You’re allowed to pull forward or reverse back (depending on whether you're reverse or forward bay parking) in order to correct your positioning. If it helps, you can stop the car before your point of turn in order to break up the manoeuvre into more manageable chunks.

How long do I have to complete the bay parking manoeuvre?
Whilst there isn’t an exact time limit imposed, you’re looking at around 4 minutes or so. In reality, you won’t need this much time—you’ll be done in a couple of minutes. Don’t rush, though. Take your time and move slowly; it will give you a better chance of accuracy and control.

What happens if I see pedestrians or other vehicles while I am bay parking?
You need to react accordingly. Even if you perform the most controlled and perfect bay parking manoeuvre, you’ll fail your driving test if you don’t stay on top of your observations. If you see someone approaching you, slow down and stop—allow them to pass before you continue.

What if there are a lot of cars in the car park when I’m completing the manoeuvre?
Typically speaking, the test centre shouldn’t be that busy—nor will the car park the examiner picks for the manoeuvre. If there are other vehicles, you'll have to use your own judgement. You can stop and wait for a vehicle to pass, but if there’s a constant stream of traffic, you'll have to eventually get on with it. The other vehicles will have to wait for you to continue, so don’t feel pressured into rushing.

Can I refuse to complete the bay parking manoeuvre?
Simply put, if you want your practical test to continue, you shouldn’t refuse to complete any manoeuvre the examiner asks you to demonstrate. Feel free to ask questions if you don’t understand the instructions, but bear in mind that if you simply refuse, the examiner will probably end the test there and then.

Where will I be asked to carry out the manoeuvre?
It depends on whether you’re asked to demonstrate a forward or reverse bay park manoeuvre. The reverse bay park manoeuvre can only be carried out in the test centre's car park (usually, though there are exceptions to every rule), whilst the forward bay park can be undertaken at the test centre or a car park of the examiner's choosing.

What if I think I’m going to hit the kerb?
If you're concerned about hitting the kerb or finding yourself outside of the bay lines, remember, you are allowed to make adjustments. Rather than waiting for something bad to happen—picking up driving test faults—make necessary adjustments to ensure you nail the manoeuvre.

Will the examiner get out to check I’m within the lines?
It’s not likely. The examiner will probably be able to tell just by using the side mirrors. Of course, if they’re not entirely certain, they’ll tell you that they need to get out of the car to double-check.

When in the test will I be asked to perform this manoeuvre?
If you’re demonstrating the bay parking manoeuvre in the test centre car park, the examiner could ask you to do it at the beginning or end of the practical test. If, on the other hand, it's a car park of the examiner’s choosing, it will likely be at any point during the independent driving section. Instead of worrying about when you’ll be asked to perform a manoeuvre, just concentrate on your driving and take it a step at a time.

At Leo Driving School, we’ll make sure you're fully prepared for every aspect of the test, including bay parking.