By ROB HULL
Updated: 03:39 AEDT, 11 December 2024
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A new 'B' plate has been launched for drivers to display on their cars to inform other road users that they're terrible at one type of manoeuvre.
Similar to the red and white L plates that learners are legally required to fit to their vehicles before passing their test, and the green P plate for those who have recently gained their licence, motorists who are particularly poor at the one driving action are being urged to order one and then affix it to their vehicles.
The B stands for 'bad parking' and is aimed at motorists who find it difficult to manoeuvre into a space in the hope it encourages others to give them more time and space in car parks.
The plate, which has been launched by Scrap Car Comparison and not the Department for Transport, is already being made available to drivers to display on their vehicles.
However, road safety groups have criticised their availability and said motorists should seek additional training rather than raise attention to their poor driving with a B plate.
It comes off the back of research by the comparison website that found almost half of all motorists feel they could benefit from further training or assistance when it comes to parking.
One in six drivers say they have experienced stress or worry about having to park their car and almost a third spend extra time searching for a space in a car park that has unoccupied bays either side, rather than trying to squeeze into one flanked by other vehicles.
Scrap Car Comparison has launched a new 'B' plate to be displayed by drivers who struggle to park
Scrap Car Comparison says it is already offering a 'limited number of B plate stickers to interested drivers for free' via a ‘register interest’ form on its website.
'Based on interest levels, the brand will then look to make them widely available in 2025,' it said.
It believes the plates will help those with 'park-phobia' - an anxiety triggered by an inability to either park at the side of the road or in a designated bay.
It says this is likely triggered by a 'lack of confidence during the process of learning to drive'.
Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of the 1,391 drivers it polled claimed they weren’t taught well enough when it came to parking manoeuvres, and three quarters of newly-qualified drivers aged 17-to-24-years-old say they could benefit from more guidance.
That's despite parking being a key element of driving lessons - and a requirement during the practical test.
An examiner will need a learner to successfully complete one of three exercises to pass the driving test: parallel park at the side of the road; park in a parking bay; or pull up on the right-hand side of the road before reversing for around two car lengths.
Scrap Car Comparison says it hopes the new B plate stickers will 'make a difference and encourage drivers to own their parking pitfalls'.
The B stands for 'bad parking' and is aimed at motorists who find it difficult to manoeuvre into a space in the hope it urges others to give them more time and space
Similar to the red and white L plates that learners are legally required to fit to their vehicles before passing their test, and the green P plate for those who have recently gained their licence, motorists who are bad parkers can now request a free B plate
Despite Scrap Car Comparison's claims that the B plate is designed to help those who struggle to park proficiently, it has already received criticism from road safety charities.
IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards Nicholas Lyes said: 'While the intention is commendable, unofficial plates may confuse other drivers because they have no understanding of what those plates mean.
'If you feel your parking skills need brushing up, it would be better to invest in some post-test training, rather than highlighting it to others on the road.'
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at The AA, added: 'Every journey ends with the car being parked, so being able to stop the car safely and properly is key.
'This only reiterates how important it is to learn how to park properly.
'Rather than getting these "plates", drivers that are still nervous about parking could invest in a top-up driving lesson to gain confidence when parallel or bay parking.'
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