An innovative study by Auto Trader saw participants being fitted with heart rate monitors before being asked to conduct three types of parking.

The result? 57% of the monitored drivers experienced a heart rate spike when they parallel parked with 46% experiencing a spike when they carried out a reverse bay parking manoeuvre. Driving into bay produced spikes of 41% on average.

All in, the average for spikes during all parking activities came in at nearly 48%, revealing that nearly half of us are not fans of the manoeuvre and in particular, the reverse gear in our cars. However, women appear to be more resilient with 46% experiencing a heart rate spike compared to 50% of men.

Adverse effect

In another survey, 1 in 4 drivers (26%) said they found parallel parking or bay parking stressful – though these figures improve the more practise you have; 37% of 17-24-year-olds get stressed versus 21% aged 55 and above.

Some of us also go to extreme measures to avoid parking at all:

  • Drive right on past the parking space if we feel it’s too difficult.
  • Ask a passenger to park the car instead (make sure they are insured…)
  • Park on double yellow lines, mount a pavement or dump the car in a permit holder space.

Avoid, avoid, avoid

In fact, some drivers would rather do unpleasant or stressful tasks to avoid parallel parking altogether. For instance:

  1. Catch a spider – 19.2%
  2. Watch a horror movie – 19.1%
  3. Visit the dentist – 18.7%
  4. Go for a blood test/have a vaccination – 17.7%
  5. Ride a rollercoaster – 14.8%
  6. Be in a confined space for 60 seconds – 14.2%
  7. Go on a first date – 13.2%
  8. Visit a haunted house – 12.7%
  9. Public speaking (e.g. wedding speech) – 11.6%
  10. Stand on top of the world’s tallest building – 11.5%

Overcoming fear

The best way to overcome a fear of parking is simple: Practise. If you’re worried about any form of parking, discuss it with your instructor. They can help you get all the experience you need so instead of your heart racing as you parallel park, you can slide into that space with genuine confidence.

You can also swot up on top parking tips by heading here for parallel parking and here for reverse/forward bay parking. For full findings from Auto Trader’s study, click here.

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