Reference points

Sitting in the car is like wearing a bulky metal coat. You no longer know how big is your body. Worse, you can’t feel anything touch it.

Until you can do it subconsciously, use a feature on the car to align with the outside world. These act as landmarks, or “bodymarks”.

These are typically:

1.  joint of windscreen WIPER

2.  extremity of outer door HANDLES

3.  bottom frame of door MIRRORS

USE 1 to align a straight kerb, or edge of the free road, when in the “normal driving position”. If you can’t see the FRONT wipers, use something in the middle of the dashboard. The REAR wiper joint also marks the car’s centre.

USE 2 to get parallel and the correct distance from the kerb (left or right) in the “normal parking position”. A pair of handles each side helps your brain make a line between them, to know where your side is. (Their tops reflect sky light, so they’re easy to see even on a dark car).

Keep the FRONT ONE the same distance from the kerb if you reverse around a corner. It will also touch the rear end of the bay when you’ve finished reverse bay-parking.

USE 3 to align with a Give Way or Stop line (or front end of a parking bay).  Other uses are on this photopage.