Beginner Driver Education · Vehicle Handling
Mastering Perpendicular Parking: A Comprehensive Video Tutorial
Driviology Road Safety Education Team
What this actually means for you
Most new drivers learn this by feel after a few lessons. Understanding it on paper first makes those lessons click much faster. This page covers perpendicular parking — what it involves, why it matters, and how it shows up in everyday driving. Get this right and the car starts doing what you expect, when you expect it — which is most of what confidence behind the wheel is built on.
Perpendicular Parking Video Tutorial - Vehicle Handling Tips
Perpendicular Parking - How to Park a Car in Parking Space
Important Note: Please make sure to watch the video entirely without skipping.
Using this on Ontario roads — and on your road test
Ontario makes this real very quickly. A manoeuvre that feels easy on a dry Markham side street in June behaves differently on a slushy Scarborough road in February, and the difference is always in how smoothly you ask the car to work. Practise the technique slowly first — in an empty lot or a quiet street — until the movements are boring. On a G2 or G test, examiners are watching for exactly that: smooth, planned control, with no sudden grabs at the wheel or stabs at the pedals when something surprises you.
Questions drivers ask us
Can you explain perpendicular parking in simple terms?
Watch our detailed video tutorial on perpendicular parking. Perfect your parking skills and learn the best practices for parking in tight spaces.
How should I practise this as a new driver?
Start at low speed, in a quiet area, with your instructor or supervising driver beside you. Build the movement step by step until it feels routine, then use it in normal traffic. Rushing a new technique at full speed is how small errors turn into bad habits.
Will this come up on my G2 or G road test?
Very likely, yes. Handling is scored throughout the test — steering smoothness, speed control, braking, and how you position the car. Examiners are not looking for perfection; they are looking for calm, planned control, and for mistakes to be small and corrected early.