Are BMW drivers really the worst at parking?

When it comes to bad driving practices like tailgating and parking across lines, fingers most often point to BMW drivers.

A new study in the UK shows there could be some truth to the stereotypes, at least when it comes to parking.

A company called Scrap Car Comparison asked car owners if they felt they needed further training or assistance with parking, and 48 percent of respondents said they did.

However, 68 percent of the BMW drivers in the survey indicated they need such assistance, a whopping 20 percent above the average.

But rival German brands weren’t far behind, with Audi and Mercedes drivers coming second and third on the list with respective self-confessed incompetence rates of 64 percent and 63 percent.

Narrowing it down to vehicle propulsion types, drivers of electric vehicles fared worst, with 66 percent admitting they needed assistance with their parking, versus 49 percent for owners of hybrid or petrol cars, while owners of diesel vehicles fared best at 39 percent.

Could it be that the latter tend to drive commercial vehicles and are thus better practiced?

The survey found that 17 percent of drivers often felt stressed or worried about having to park, while 14 percent revealed they were embarrassed about their parking.

Unsurprisingly, parallel parking was considered to be one of the trickiest manoeuvres, with drivers often misjudging the distance to the curb and using an incorrect amount of lock on the steering wheel.

Most drivers said they felt confident with vertical parking, with just 3 percent of respondents indicating a lack of confidence in this nose-first manoeuvre.

“Parking is one of the more technical elements of driving, and one that we should be spending a lot of time refining during the course of our lives spent driving.

“From the degree of lock that’s needed on the steering wheel, to utilising your pedals effectively, and keeping just far enough away from any surrounding vehicles or obstacles, it’s not always easy business!” said Scrap Car Comparison.

With tongue firmly in cheek, the UK firm has introduced a ‘B’ plate that unconfident parkers can purchase in order to warn the world around them that they are terrible at parking. — IOL