Find space in a parallel universe
New figures have revealed that three quarters of drivers lose their nerve when parking in front of other drivers, while 15% avoid parallel parking completely.
OSV, independent UK vehicle supply professionals, found that parallel parking was a sticking point for most drivers with nearly half (47%) of the OSV focus group admitting to parking further away from their destination than necessary to avoid it.
The average driver takes five attempts to parallel park successfully, so it’s probably not surprising that 75% of motorists admit the pressure of another driver waiting for them puts them off.
Andrew Kirkley, joint company director, OSV, said, ‘I think that everyone has experienced the panic of parking poorly in front of an audience, so it’s a shame that we’re not all a little more sympathetic. An inability to parallel park can be a real disadvantage though, especially if you regularly visit the suburbs. All it takes is a little confidence, so I’d advise nervous drivers to practise. Once you’ve properly mastered the art – without a driving instructor forcing you to do so – it’s with you for life and can help to save time, money and stress.’
For the most part if you want to avoid it you’ll have to visit a ticketed parking facility, which could pose new problems as 21% of drivers admit to circling around town to find on-street parking to avoid paying for parking tickets and a further 33% say that they forget to bring along change for the ticket machine.
