PARKING SPACE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 May 1938, Page 9

PARKING SPACE

A SERIOUS PROBLEM. CARLESSNESS OF DRIVERS. Finding a parking space in almost any town is at times a problem in itself, but the degree of carelessness adds unnecessary difficulties. Judging by the irregular order in which motor cars are left parked in thoroughfares, it is obvious that a large percentage of drivers give little thought to care, courtesy and safety in their relation to parking. It is safe to say that in Invercargill twice as many cars could be accommodated in the parking areas if they were all nosed in at the correct angle and at the correct distance apart. Why should not ability to park properly be an essential condition of a driving licence test? If a man cannot park within 18 inches of the next car and at such an angle that there will be no difficulty in getting out without scrapingmudguards. then he is not qualified to hold a licence for driving in a city. Where angle parking is the rule, it is noteworthy that very many drivers lack the necessary, efficiency to drive in to the kerbing, and at the same time maintain the correct angle, but when it comes to the operation of occupying a space parallel with the kerbing and between two vehicles the lack of experience and ability is more marked. Quite a number of drivers simply drive into a space and leave their cars in an oblique position without giving thought to the obstacle they are leaving in the way of drivers who have taken the trouble to park their cars properly. They do not give thought, either, to the fact that the bumpers or rear end of a car jutting into the roadway may cause danger for a cyclist or other passing vehicle. Clearly, too, many drivers need tuition or practice in the easily-acquired art of reversing (which is the only practical way when space is limited) into a parking place. Seemingly, scores of drivers do not know how to manoeuvre their cars into short spaces. As in most things, practice makes for perfection in parking a vehicle, and if some motorists would practice the art, and take some pride in doing things properly, there would be fewer dented mudguards, less irritation, and fewer arguments, not only with other motorists, but also with traffic inspectors.