This episode of the Driving Test Podcast focuses on the crucial topic of parking and how the driving test often doesn't adequately prepare learners for real-world scenarios.

Host Terry Cook discusses the differences between the controlled environment of driving tests and the challenges drivers face after passing, particularly in busy car parks. He emphasizes the importance of practicing parking between other cars and navigating multi-story car parks to build confidence and skill.

Terry shares anecdotes from recent driving tests, illustrating how examiners often guide learners toward easier parking situations, which may not reflect the realities of everyday driving. By encouraging listeners to hone their parking abilities in various settings, he aims to ensure they are well-prepared for the challenges they will encounter once they hit the road.

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The Driving Test Podcast delves into the often-overlooked realities of driving post-test, emphasizing the gap between the driving test experience and real-world driving scenarios. Host Terry Cook discusses the significance of Road Safety Week and the role of the charity Brake, which works tirelessly to support families affected by road traffic incidents. With alarming statistics about daily road traffic casualties in the UK, Terry underscores the importance of practical preparations that extend beyond the confines of a driving test. He highlights the discrepancies between the safe environments created for test-takers and the unpredictable nature of actual driving situations, particularly when it comes to parking.

Throughout the episode, Terry shares practical advice for novice drivers, encouraging them to practice parking in various settings, including between cars and in multi-story car parks. He reflects on personal anecdotes from his experience as an instructor, illustrating how examiners often facilitate a smoother test experience by directing candidates to quieter areas or providing assistance during maneuvers. This discussion serves as a reminder that while the driving test is a critical milestone, it does not fully prepare individuals for the complexities they will face on the road after passing. Ultimately, Terry's insights aim to equip learners with the skills and confidence they need to navigate the challenges of everyday driving safely and effectively.

Takeaways:

• The driving test often doesn't prepare you for real-world driving scenarios and challenges.
• Practicing parking between two cars is crucial for real-life driving situations after passing the test.
• Safety should always be the top priority during parking maneuvers, both in tests and daily driving.
• Multi-story car parks provide a unique challenge that can greatly improve your parking skills.
• Starting your parking practice in quiet areas builds confidence before tackling busier environments.
• It's important to adjust your parking approach as real-world conditions change, especially during busy seasons.

Welcome to the Driving Test Podcast.

I am your host, Terry Cook of TC Drive and I am here as your guide on your journey to passing your driving test and beyond, also helping you prepare for all those wonderful journeys you're going to go on after you've passed your driving test.

Now, it's been a little while since I've released an episode.

In fact, it was November last year.

But I'm in the process of reformatting the show.

So in the meantime I thought I'd create a little special miniseries of episodes just for you.

See, November 17th is the start of Road Safety Week, which is run by the road safety charity Brick and Brick helps support families of those who have lost their lives due to a road traffic collision.

Just to give you a few stats, on average, 70 people are admitted to hospital every day in the UK due to a crash and five of those people will die every day.

So that's why Brake Run this road safety campaign every year.

And if you'd like to donate, you can find a link in the show notes or visit the website the instructor podcast.co.uk but I wanted to help you keep safe by talking to you about the way the driving test doesn't prepare you for real world driving and what you can do to get yourself ready.

So over the next seven days of Road Safety Week, I'll be discussing a different topic starting today with parking.

You see on your driving test, you may be asked to drive into a car park and you'll be asked to either drive forward into it or reverse into it.

Now, often when this gets practiced on driving lessons, you'll have a nice quiet car park to go into, which is great for practice, but in real life this isn't always an option and often you'll need to park between two other cars.

But when you go on your driving test, you'll be directed towards a quiet section of the car park.

In fact, I recently had an examiner stop my student from parking between two cars on her test and asked her specifically to park in a clear section of the car park.

Now, we practiced completely all different types of parking and she's easily completed the maneuver.

But the examiner told her to go specifically to a quieter and therefore probably easier area.

And again, she just passed that maneuver.

No problem, but just interesting that the examiner didn't want her to do it the hard way between two cars, which she was really good at, and encouraged her to go to that quieter area.

Now, I also recently had an examiner who actually opened his door during the bay park and advised my student on adjusting the car.

And then after he'd made the alteration and my student brought it back in, my student checked this side and then the examiner opened his door again and literally told my student, you're in the bay, that's fine, drive on when you're ready.

Now, my student actually checked anyway and said, I don't.

Not that I don't believe you, but I still want to check.

But you can see on your test there, he's actually getting some help from the examiner.

The examiners are making it easier.

Now, just to clarify, most examiners won't tell you if in the.

In the bay or not, but this one did and the other one, as often a lot of examiners do, will direct you to that quieter park, again making a bit easier.

So you can probably see that the bay parking evolved on a driving test.

It's nothing like the bay parking you'll do day to day when you've passed.

So how can you prepare?

Well, firstly, whether you're learning privately or with an instructor, starting in a quiet car park is always a good idea.

Keeping it nice and safe.

Find somewhere nice and quiet.

Not many cars about that way.

You're building up your car control, you're building up your ability to get it between the lines, you're building up your observations and your ability to focus on what you're doing whilst also taking in those observations.

Start off safe, but then when you've got good at parking, why not start making it harder?

So you could park next to another car, you know, maybe there's a car on your left and you park next to that.

And then when you're good at that, why not try parking in between two cars?

Because again, when we look at real life driving, you pass your test, you go out.

Look at the time of year we're in now, it's November, so the shops are going to start getting busier and busier of Christmas shopping and stuff like that, so it's going to be harder for you to find a big chunk of empty spaces.

You may be required to go in between two cars and if you practice that beforehand, it's going to be a lot easier.

Now, if you practice going in between cars and next to cars, maybe you could practice in your driveway.

Because again, when you pass your test, are you going to be doing that?

It is a little bit different to practice in a bit.

Usually you've got more space.

But there's other things to consider as well, like the fact that you're on potentially a busy road.

How are you going to Navigate that traffic like the fact potentially you've got your mum or dad behind you, which isn't always easy.

So once you've looked at parking in between cars and on your driveway, you could even chuck in multi story car parks.

Now, this is something I've been advising for a little while, but some of the great things about multi story car parks is, well, not even just the parking, the car control it requires to get around them is really somewhat quite special because as you ground a multi story car park, if you look at the walls and you look at the pillars in it, full of scratches from people that can't drive the car properly.

So if you can manage that now, again, you're going to be better prepared.

And one of the challenges that I sometimes set my learners go all the way to the top of the car park, find somewhere to park and usually at the top it's quite empty and then you've got to try and find somewhere to park on each level, all the way down.

So all of this is an excellent way to improve your parking skills so that when you've passed your test, you'll have no troubles parking in any type of situation at all.

Plus, if you've done all that parking, how easy will a nice quiet car park on your test field?

Again, just imagine that you spend a lesson, spend an hour driving up and down the multi story car park and parking in between cars and all this kind of stuff.

And then on your test you get taken into ASDA and the examiner says, go park in one of those 670 bays.

That's gonna feel super easy, right?

But I do just want to finish with this point because I want to remind you all that the most important part of beer parking on a test is to do it safely.

There's no point getting it between the lines.

If you reverse into someone and you don't have to get it right first time, you can make an adjustment if you need to.

So prioritize safety at all times.

And that's not just for your test, obviously, that's for after.

So I hope you've enjoyed this little look at how the driving test doesn't prepare you for all aspects of driving.

And I'll be releasing over 6 over road safety week.

I do encourage you to go and check out the website brake.orguk you can find links for this in the show notes and you can find out all the good work, all the good work Brake are doing there to support victims of road traffic accidents.

Because I said at the start, 70 plus people every day wind up in the hospital as a result of a road traffic collision and five of those people will die on average every day.

So if you would like to support the good work that Break are doing again, you can find a link in the show notes.

But for now make sure you subscribe to this the Driving Test podcast because we'll be turning with a brand new format soon.

And until next time, stay safe and drive safer.