Any tips? EDIT: Le sigh....

[Furiku]

So this Wednesday I'm taking my drive for my driver's test plus getting a checking account on Monday (my mom is bribing me to get out of the house it seems). I've got driving in traffic down, the car I'm using should be fine provided it gets it's oil changed soon, but I'm wondering if you experienced drivers have any tips about backing around corners and parallel parking. I obviously know about practicing lol, but have you guys found any way that seems to make it easier for you?

Just thought I'd ask you all while I finish up a college app or two. Shoulda done these a while ago...bleh.

So I failed. I suck at backing around corners and managed to get two wheels up on the curb thus doing a 'dangerous action' and getting disqualified. Didn't help that I had a bitch for a proctor. Even if I had done well on that she probably would have failed my anyways.

Good news is I at least managed to parallel park decently. I think. She only mentioned the dangerous action so I'm guessing that it was the only thing I did wrong.

[TygerDarkstorm]

I despise parallel parking, but when I did my test, they didn't even make me parallel park where cars were or anything, they just made me do it along an empty street curve which is insanely easy. So long as you can pull smoothly to the curb and back along it, you'll be fine.

Check your mirrors fairly often, always look both ways before going through an intersection (I think they actually dock you if you don't, even if you have the right of way).

I didn't have to back around a corner, so I can't help you there.

[Anyia]

any tips about backing around corners

Yeah, simply avoid it, and definitely if you don't have clear vision - otherwise it's just an accident begging to happen.

I've been driving for nearly two decades (eep!), and I can't think of a single time I've actually needed to back around a corner. A three-point turn would be the closest I think. And if you do have a need to do so, it's not really harder than going forwards around a corner. The only thing to be mindful is that the front will swing out as you turn, but if there was something in the way there you probably shouldn't be turning anyway!

and parallel parking.

I'm a very visual person, and I find that what works for me is to take a bird's eye view in my mind. From above you have excellent view of all the important edges! Think of it as casting Eagle Eye on a nearby street-light.

Over all though, my recommendation would be to just keep driving until you get to the point where you don't think of the car as something separate, but rather an extension of yourself. When your thought processes go from "okay, I need to turn the wheel to move the front of the car out as I'm reversing into position" to "I want the car next to the curb between these two cars" and that's what happens, then you're in a good mind. Experience, practice and repetition, it does drag you along the way to perfection.

Good luck with your test! Hope it's not like where I did mine where you're as good as guaranteed to get flunked the first time around just for the sake of it.

[Cialbi]

any tips about backing around corners

Yeah, simply avoid it, and definitely if you don't have clear vision - otherwise it's just an accident begging to happen.

I've been driving for nearly two decades (eep!), and I can't think of a single time I've actually needed to back around a corner. A three-point turn would be the closest I think. And if you do have a need to do so, it's not really harder than going forwards around a corner. The only thing to be mindful is that the front will swing out as you turn, but if there was something in the way there you probably shouldn't be turning anyway!

She asks because that will be a part of her test. I'm just waiting to see some tired cop pull over someone in the middle of a driver's test for reckless driving, and making the local news.

[Moore]

My drivers test consisted of me driving two blocks and turning around and coming back to the building. No parallel parking involved, and I've never actually had to parallel park ever. o.o

[Sarayana]

I have one suggestion about backing up that I think most people do without thinking once they've driven for a while: don't grip the wheel too hard. When you turn your body to look over your shoulder, you move your hands too. If you're holding the wheel too tightly, you'll accidentally steer. (Coincidentally, same thing goes when you're checking your blind angle before a lane change. See those people that swerve before changing lanes? They're gripping their wheel too hard.)

Good luck!

[Furiku]

Thanks for the advice guys! I'm getting in more practice and I've asked a bunch of my friends who have taken their tests recently so I think I'm ready. XD I'll tell you how it goes tomarrow!

[VelkynKarma]

Hope it's not too late, but pay attention to what the instructor tells you, too. Sometimes they might tell you to "take the next left," but will intentionally not mention that the immediate next left is actually a one-way street you can't go down. Or something like that. Don't let them mess with you like that; they're just trying to make sure you're paying attention, but don't panic over it XD

Agree with Sarayana too, I've done the accidental-swerve while checking my blind spot more than once. It gets easier with practice though.

Honestly though, it shouldn't be too bad. My driver's test was really hyped up and I was told I'd have to parallel park and do a number of other difficult things, but in the end the hardest thing for me to do was change lanes, and none of the really tough stuff even came up. It'll probably be much easier than it originally seems.

~VelkynKarma

[Furiku]

So I failed. I suck at backing around corners and managed to get two wheels up on the curb thus doing a 'dangerous action' and getting disqualified. Didn't help that I had a bitch for a proctor. Even if I had done well on that she probably would have failed my anyways.

Good news is I at least managed to parallel park decently. I think. She only mentioned the dangerous action so I'm guessing that it was the only thing I did wrong.

[Moore]

Lol I remember once my mom telling me she got failed cause the driving test teacher was like "turn here" in a place where you couldn't turn, and she got marked down for it and long story short it pissed her off really bad and she ended up chasing the guy back into the drivers test building.

[Mania]

So I failed. I suck at backing around corners and managed to get two wheels up on the curb thus doing a 'dangerous action' and getting disqualified. Didn't help that I had a bitch for a proctor. Even if I had done well on that she probably would have failed my anyways.

Good news is I at least managed to parallel park decently. I think. She only mentioned the dangerous action so I'm guessing that it was the only thing I did wrong.

You'll get it next time. Now that you've been through it once you know what you're facing.

[Anyia]

At times I think they fail everybody the first time just so they don't get too cocky.

As Mania says, you'll get it next time - you know what you're up against now, and that alone will take some of the stress away! Good luck for next time too!

[VelkynKarma]

You can do it! Sometimes it just takes a little practice

It's kinda funny what they'll require in different places though...I don't think we covered backing around corners in my Driver's Ed, let alone had it on the test....

/puzzle

But just practice and it'll work out for you

~VelkynKarma

[Sherbe]

Don't get too down, I nailed it....on my fourth try. Just keep your cool, for me it was more about nerves than anything else. oh, and speeding during driving test is bad, m'kay?

[Lisaara]

Man, if they only knew how many people hit curbs or hit other things.....XD

You'll get it. :3 I took Driver's Ed so my test was done in highschool. We didnt have the parallel park or anything since in Florida, that's rare.