Men claim to be most confident parallel parkers in Australia

Over half (57%) of Australia’s drivers report feeling stressed or anxious about parallel parking, with women and younger drivers feeling it most, according to survey data from Budget Direct.

According to the data, 60% of drivers find themselves cosying up to the kerbside at least once a week, with almost one in ten (9%) saying they parallel park every day. 

However, reported anxiety levels while parallel parking revealed a divide between the sexes. 

The survey reveals that 35% of women say they usually or always feel stressed or anxious while parking – twice as many as the men surveyed (16%). 

Men typically claim to have the most confidence in their parallel parking skills, according to Budget Direct. Of those surveyed, 65% of men claim to be very or extremely confident, whereas only 34% of women feel the same way.

The more you do it, the easier it gets 

The survey found a link between the age of a driver and their anxieties about reversing into a spot. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, older generations of drivers typically reported more confidence when parking. After all, practice makes perfect.

Only 8% of the Silent Generation find parallel parking an anxious affair, followed by 17% of Baby Boomers. On the other hand, a third (33%) of Gen Y and almost two in five (37%) of Gen Z drivers always or usually do.

The pinnacle of ‘parallelophobia’

But it appears that almost everyone, regardless of gender or age, gets sweaty palms at the prospect of having to park on a busy road while holding up traffic. 

Only 8% of survey respondents say they feel ‘extremely comfortable’ in a situation like that, instead preferring to avoid it entirely.  

Budget Direct found Australians’ biggest parking pet peeve is dealing with traffic (61%), followed by: 

• Judging space/estimating distance (50%) 
• Aligning the vehicle and getting the timing right on turns (49%) 
• Getting back out of a tight park or being parked in (34%) 
• Maintaining visibility in larger vehicles (24%).

Evidently, there’s a lot of pressure out there when it comes to parking. The last thing you want to do is scratch up someone else’s (or your own) vehicle while simply trying to park. 

While there’s assisted parking tech out there, like reversing cameras or self-parking features, not everyone has the luxury of the latest gizmos. 

So, one way of alleviating the stress of parking could be as straightforward as making sure your car insurance covers you for dings and scrapes that might happen to your own car while trying to park. 

Confidence in your abilities may come with age, but having comprehensive car insurance could, at the very least, save you some cash in the event of a parallel parking mishap. Knowing that you have cover might take the pressure off your next park. 

Compare comprehensive car insurance here to find the latest deals across a range of policies, or check out the best car insurance in Australia for Mozo Experts Choice Award-winning providers.