Top 10 trickiest driving manoeuvres

Parallel parking has been revealed as the nation’s most difficult driving manoeuvre, according to a study.

The two words every learner driver dreads to hear emerged top in a poll of 2,000 UK motorists for Accident Advice Helpline.

Reversing into a parking bay and reversing around a corner followed as the next most tricky task to navigate.

“Parallel parking has been a thorn in drivers’ sides since the invention of the motor car,” said David Carter of Accident Advice Helpline.

“We’ve all felt the pressure of getting into a tight parking space on a busy street when there are others watching. So it’s no surprise that twice as many people said they dread parallel parking as the next most difficult manoeuvre.”

Top 10 trickiest driving manouevres

1. Parallel park
2. Reverse into a parking bay
3. Reversing around a corner
4. Turn-in-the-road/three point turn
5. Driving forward into a parking bay
6. Reversing in a straight line
7. Parking close to the curb
8. Navigating a roundabout
9. Emergency stop
10. Pulling up on the right of the road

Just under a third of the population have failed a driving test due to mucking up their manoeuvres, with almost one in 10 suffering multiple times.

Almost half (47%) have attempted a parallel park that went so disastrously wrong they simply gave up and drove away halfway through the attempt.

One in four drivers struggling to reverse into a space have humiliatingly exited the vehicle and let someone else finish the procedure for them.

Meanwhile, 15% of motorists claim a parallel park leaves them feeling anxious, and one in 10 believe a difficult manoeuvre makes them stressed or nervous.

Although a quarter of men say they feel confident when tackling a tricky manoeuvre – more than double the amount of women who said the same thing.