MVA Drops Parallel Parking from Driver’s License Test
If you listen closely you can almost hear a collective sigh of relief from 16 year olds across the state.
The reason – the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration officially removed parallel parking as a required test element on the driver’s license test on a statewide basis starting today.
According to Buel Young, spokesperson for the MVA, the administration determined that completing a two-point turn and backing up are similar enough to parallel parking to eliminate the parking element from the test.
“The MVA consistently evaluates its assessments of both the knowledge and skills tests. In analyzing the skills test, it was determined that the currently used 2-point reverse turn, when combined with the on-road portions or the test, adequately assessed the individual’s ability to operate the vehicle,” Young told MYMCMedia Tuesday.
You can find out more about the MVA tests here.
Young said parallel parking is still taught in driving schools.
“We encourage everyone to know how to do it,” he said.
Related:
Drivers' Test Fail Rate Almost 50 Percent at Montgomery County's MVAs (VIDEO)
Almost half of all the drivers who took the Maryland drivers’ license roads test in Montgomery County over the past year failed it, according to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Krista Brick has the story about a change to the test that might reduce that fail rate. Related:
Driving School President Disagrees with Decision to Drop Parallel Parking from MVA Test (VIDEO)
The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration officially removed parallel parking as a required test element on the driver’s license test on a statewide basis starting May 19. Here’s what Tom Pecoraro, president of I Drive Smart, has to say about that decision. Related:
MVA Drops Parallel Parking from Driver's License Test
If you listen closely you can almost hear a collective sigh of relief from 16 year olds across the state. The reason – the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration officially removed parallel parking as a required test element on the driver’s license test on a statewide basis starting today. According to Buel Young, spokesperson for the […]
Is the news about MVA dropping the parallel parking true? There are no other news outlets reporting this.
yay
That’s ridiculous!!!
As an employee of MDOT that MVA falls under, I am interested in where you have gotten this information.
Please enlighten me.
Who was the clown who made this decisison
Is there an available online source from mva.maryland.gov for this change?
Hi,
Could you please list your sources?
Can’t seem to find this anywhere else on the web!
Thank you!
Ms. Brick, Can you tell what source you used for this info? I have visited the MVA website, called the MVA, and did a google search and can’t verify this information anywhere. Thanks.
I forgot to mention that I saw your verbal source, but I wanted something more official than a spokesperson’s say-so. Thanks.
Fox 5 is carrying it now
http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/29111502/maryland-drivers-test
There is NOTHING on the MVA website that confirms this information. Where did you hear this??
If you look at the chart on the mva website, parallel parking is no longer included as a skill that is tested. http://www.mva.maryland.gov/about-mva/info/26300/26300-28T.htm, scroll to near the bottom, next to Class C- Noncommercial
for real?
I don’t care that it’s not done that often for people that don’t live in cities (I personally have only parallel parked a handful of times in the 13 years since my test), but the importance of the parallel parking test is not in parallel parking itself. It’s one of the few parts of the test that requires the driver to have spatial awareness of all four corners of the vehicle relative to the outside of the vehicle. That is a VITAL aspect of driving, and removing it from the test is endangering the public, IMO.
I agree.
where I totally agree with what you said, I have say I greatly enjoyed reading your comment because it’s how Sheldon Cooper would have responded! Have a nice day!!
As a former driving instructor, I hope the schools do still teach p/p since it does involve a series of moves that may be counterintuitive. The school I worked for had somewhat deemphasized it, just showing a video and having students practice a few times, then it was up to them to practice with others. After all some cars do it automatically now.
I strongly disagree that executing a 2-pt turn (anything like a 3-point turn I learned?) combined with on-road driving gives any assurance one can perform parallel parking – it is completely unlike anything else in the realm of driving and parts are almost counter-intuitive.
When I was younger it seemed like all of my friends thought that parallel parking was the hardest part of our driving test. It is kind of relieving to hear that these workers have decided to remove parallel parking from the test. That will definitely be a big sigh of relief to a lot of teenagers. I can definitely see how a lot of other parts of the test help demonstrate similar skills. Although parallel parking is a good skill to have, it is nice to know that it doesn’t have to be part of your driving test.
I think that the decision to drop parallel parking from the driver’s license test is a bad one. In my opinion, parallel parking is essential for driving. There will be many instances in these kids lives where they will have to parallel park. That is why they need as much experience as possible before they get their license.
As a driving school owner and professional driving instructor, I believe it was a mistake to remove parallel parking from the driving test. It is one of the essential skills young drivers should get from the driving lessons and if that skill is not required on the driving test – driving instructors may not pay ENOUGH attention to it.
I like how you said, “Young said parallel parking is still taught in driving schools”. I learned how to parallel park when I was in driving school. I still use this technique these days. It’s important to me, because I can maneuver my vehicle more efficiently. Do any driving schools teach how to park a trailer?