Is there a time limit for reverse parking?
3 Answers
Reverse parking has a time limit of 210 seconds. If the reverse parking is not completed within 210 seconds, it will be considered a failure. Reverse parking is one of the test items in the Subject 2 driving test, which involves maneuvering the vehicle to correctly reverse into the garage from both sides, assessing the driver's ability to operate the car in a confined space. The test content includes: reversing from the starting point A into garage B and stopping correctly; moving forward to the turning area C and stopping; reversing from the turning area into garage B and stopping; and finally returning from garage B to point A to complete the test. The evaluation criteria for reverse parking are as follows: failure to follow the prescribed route or sequence results in failure; the vehicle body crossing the line or failing to reverse into the garage results in failure; exceeding the 210-second time limit results in failure; and stopping midway deducts 5 points each time. During reverse parking, it is essential to control the driving speed by using only the first gear or reverse gear at idle speed, without pressing the accelerator, to maintain the minimum speed. Proper timing of steering is crucial—observe carefully during the reversing process, grasp the key points of steering, and turn the wheel at the right moment. Controlling the driving path is also important; the vehicle's path mainly depends on the speed of steering wheel rotation and driving speed. During reversing, accurately align with the boundary lines and adjust the direction promptly to ensure the vehicle enters the garage straight.
Having driven for over a decade, I never care about time limits when reversing into parking spaces—safety is the key. Those 90-second rules only exist in driving tests; in real life, taking your time is fine. Reversing too quickly can easily lead to scraping adjacent cars or pedestrians, especially for beginners who tend to rush. I recommend practicing a few more times—practice makes perfect—but don’t watch the clock. In parking lots, try not to exceed two minutes to avoid blocking others. The focus is on checking the mirrors and taking it step by step steadily—it’s no big deal.
When I first got my driver's license, there was indeed a strict 90-second time limit for parallel parking in the Subject 2 test - exceeding it meant automatic failure. I practiced with a stopwatch daily under immense pressure. Nowadays, I can take my time when parking my own car, though I still instinctively operate quickly to avoid holding up traffic. In reality, there's no rigid time requirement as long as you don't inconvenience others, but safety always comes first. Exam rules shouldn't be directly applied to real-world driving.
