Today, your Moot driving school, Avant Garde Driving School in Pretoria, discusses the alley docking parking.
Welcome to another session where Avant Garde Driving School, the driving school near me, helps you understand K53 better. Today we will look at the alley docking.
Alley docking aims to prepare a student to park quickly and efficiently at parkades and shopping centers. It is often quicker to reverse park than to park moving forward.
When your vehicle moves forward while turning, the front wheels pull the car in a direction. The vehicle follows, creating a wide turn. When the car reverses, the front wheels push the front to the side while the back wheels hardly move. The arch is sharp.
This explanation is also why you will fit into a small space with parallel parking when you reverse while it will be impossible to move into the same area moving forward.
There is not a right or wrong method to do the alley docking. During the driving test, the officer will expect you to pull off at the starting point and stop at the finishing point without bumping a pole. You may not allow the car to move forward (rolling) at any time.
Many driving schools will prepare you to pass the test rather than to be ready for real life. Those driving schools will teach you to turn the steering wheel once when you reach the first pole. Lock the steering wheel when you get the second pole. They even mark the back door window to indicate the exact time to turn to make it easier for you.
You can do the parking using the markers if you wish, but realize you will not have those marks to assist you after passing the test. It is better to learn to park without indicators from the beginning. Learn to steer your car where you want it to go.
With the alley docking parking, your vehicle will be at the starting point, facing away from the parking. The engine will run with the handbrake applied.
You must use the K53 method.
The steps to do the alley docking:
1.) Do your observations according to the requirements of K53.
2.) Find the connecting point for the clutch.
3.) Release the handbrake slowly. Ensure the handbrake is ultimately released.
4.) Allow the car to move backward until the vehicle’s back reaches the second pole. Note: There is not an exact point when you should start turning. If you start turning sooner, turn the steering wheel slower. When you begin turning later, turn sharper. Remember, the car can only turn as sharp as it can. You cannot turn quicker than sharp. If you start turning too late, you will bump the poles on the opposite side.
5.) Turn the steering wheel to enable the car to move to the middle of the parking. Please note: To help you know how sharp you must turn, keep your eye on the third pole from the back and steer the car’s back to go next to that pole.
6.) When you are sure you are going where you want, look into the mirror on the opposite side of the car for the three poles in a row.
7.) When you see the three poles, straighten the steering wheel quickly without accelerating.
8.) When the steering wheel is straight, quickly look the other side of the vehicle to see your position. Then look at both sides.
9.) Make the necessary adjustments to steer the vehicle straight and to the parking center.
10.) Stop when you are in the parking and before you bump the back pole. An excellent place to stop is with the second pole from the back next to your shoulders, but it is not essential.
11.) Pat yourself on the back for doing your first successful alley docking.
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