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Reversing and parking

Look all round, reverse slowly, give way, and park alongside the kerb

  • Driving basics 6 / 7
  • Time: 15–20 min
  • Free

Goal

Reverse and park without surprising anyone: look all round, go slowly, give way, and keep watching the traffic through the whole manoeuvre.

Animated scenarios in this lesson

Look all round before reversing

You are parked at the kerb and want to reverse a few car lengths. A pedestrian is crossing behind your car.

Rule: 3 kap. 46 § Trafikförordningen: you may turn or reverse only if it can be done without danger or hindrance to other road users. Trafiko: look around and behind the car, turn your head and body, reverse slowly while glancing all round the car at regular intervals, and always be ready to brake and stop. iKörkort: check the mirrors and look over the shoulder before you reverse.

Do this: Look all round, not only in the mirrors. Wait while someone is crossing behind you, look again, then reverse slowly with your head turned, glancing round regularly, ready to brake.

Not this: Reversing at once on mirrors alone: nobody checked right behind the car.

Reversing out of a bay

You are in a car-park bay between larger vehicles and want to reverse out into the aisle. A car is driving along the aisle.

Rule: Trafiko: when you leave a parking bay you must give way to all other vehicles in the car park, and you should drive out carefully with constant watch on others; reversing out makes it even harder to see. 3 kap. 21 § Trafikförordningen: when you come onto a road from a parking place or similar area adjoining it you give way to every vehicle whose course crosses yours.

Do this: Creep back slowly and stop as soon as you can see along the aisle. Let the passing car go, look both ways again, then reverse out slowly, looking where you are going and ready to stop.

Not this: Backing out fast with a blocked view into a moving car.

Parallel parking

You want to park between two cars at the right-hand kerb. A cyclist is coming up on your right as you stop alongside the front car.

Rule: Trafiko, parking in a smaller space: stand parallel with the car in front of the space, steer fully towards the kerb and reverse slowly; when you can see the registration plate of the car behind the space in your left mirror, turn the wheel back and reverse straight; when the rear of your car is at the kerb, steer fully the other way. Watch other traffic the whole time. In a gap of two car lengths or more Trafiko suggests driving forward in instead. 3 kap. 46 §: reverse only without danger or hindrance.

Do this: Stop alongside the front car, look all round, let the cyclist pass, then reverse slowly with the wheel turned towards the kerb, straighten up, steer the other way to bring the front in, and finish parallel and close to the kerb with room at both ends.

Not this: Reversing at once without looking along the kerb side, so the rear swings into a passing cyclist.

What the law says

3 kap. 46 §: you may turn or reverse only if it can be done without danger or hindrance for other road users. Turning and reversing are forbidden on motorways and motor traffic roads (9 kap. 1 and 2 §§).

3 kap. 21 §: when you come onto a road from a parking place, a property, a petrol station or a similar area adjoining it, you give way to every vehicle whose course crosses yours.

Trafiko adds that when you leave a parking bay you must give way to all other vehicles in the car park.

Reversing technique

Look around and behind the car so that you can reverse safely (Trafiko).

You must be able to turn your head so far that your body turns too (Trafiko).

Reverse slowly with a steady course: creep, look back and glance quickly all round the car at regular intervals (Trafiko).

Always be ready to brake and stop (Trafiko).

Before you start, check the mirrors and look over the shoulder into the blind spot (iKörkort).

Take particular care with children and pedestrians behind the car (2 kap. 1 §). Someone close behind the car is hard to see from the driver’s seat.

Reversing out of a bay

Your view is worst between larger vehicles: creep back until you can see along the aisle, then stop and look again.

Give way to vehicles and people already moving in the car park.

Keep watching both ways all the time you move.

Parallel parking (pocket parking)

Check that the space is clearly longer than your car. Trafiko suggests driving forward in when it is two car lengths or more, and reversing in when it is smaller.

Stop parallel with the car in front of the space, about half a metre from it.

Steer fully towards the kerb and reverse slowly.

When you can see the registration plate of the car behind the space in your left mirror, turn the wheel back and reverse straight.

When the rear of your car is at the kerb, steer fully the other way, away from the kerb.

Watch other traffic all the time (Trafiko).

Finish along the road, as far from the middle as possible (3 kap. 52 §), without blocking other cars from getting out (3 kap. 49 §).

After you have stopped

Make sure the car cannot move by itself (3 kap. 50 §).

Look before you open a door: doors may not be opened so that danger or unnecessary inconvenience arises (3 kap. 50 §).

Do not park where it is forbidden: see lesson 6 (3 kap. 53–55 §§).

In the driving test

The test includes reversing: the examiner tells you clearly what to do.

You must be able to park in different ways, for example in a parking space (Trafikverket).

Key numbers

  • 3 kap. 46 §: Reverse or turn only without danger or hindrance; not on motorways
  • 3 kap. 21 §: Give way when you come onto a road from a parking place or property
  • ½ metre: Distance to the car in front of the space when you begin (Trafiko)
  • 2 car lengths: A gap this big or bigger: Trafiko suggests driving in forwards

Common mistakes

  • Relying on the mirrors alone: the area right behind the car is hard to see.
  • Reversing quickly because it is “only a short way”.
  • Forgetting that traffic already moving in the car park goes first when you leave a bay.
  • Treating a parking camera or sensor as a replacement for looking round.
  • Turning the wheel at the wrong moment: reference points differ between cars, so practise with your instructor.

Sources

Facts checked against sources on 2026-10-02.

Lesson 6: Stopping & Parking · Lesson 18: Children · Lesson 39: Applied Judgement & Unclear Situations

Changing lane, choosing lane, stopping · Turning at junctions