If you are preparing for the Transport Malta practical driving test, parallel parking is one of the manoeuvres the examiner may select. Malta's roads are famously narrow, and many residential streets in Birkirkara, Sliema and Mosta have cars parked bumper to bumper on both sides, so the ability to slot into a tight space is not just a test requirement — it is an everyday survival skill.
When do you need to parallel park on the test?
The examiner will ask you to carry out one or two manoeuvres during the practical test. Parallel parking, reverse bay parking and the three-point turn are all possibilities. You will not know in advance which one, so you need to be confident with all of them. That said, parallel parking tends to appear frequently because Malta's urban layout makes it the most common real-world parking method.
Choosing your reference points
Every car is slightly different, so the exact reference points your instructor teaches you will be specific to the vehicle you are driving. However, the general sequence is the same:
- Pull alongside the car you want to park behind, leaving about half a metre between the two vehicles. Your wing mirrors should be roughly level.
- Check all mirrors and look over your left shoulder for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Begin reversing slowly. When the rear of your car is level with the rear of the parked car, steer fully to the left.
- Watch the right wing mirror. When you can see the kerb in that mirror, straighten the wheel.
- As your front wheel approaches the kerb line, steer fully to the right to bring the front in.
- Straighten up and adjust. You should finish within about 30 centimetres of the kerb and reasonably centred in the space.
Speed is your friend — or rather, slowness is. The slower you reverse, the more time you have to adjust. Rushing creates oversteering, which means you either mount the kerb or finish sticking out into the road.
Common faults on the Malta test
Transport Malta examiners mark the following as serious faults during the parallel park:
- Not checking blind spots before and during the manoeuvre. You must look over both shoulders, not just glance in the mirrors.
- Mounting the kerb. Even touching the kerb with the tyre is marked. If you feel the wheel start to climb, stop, pull forward slightly and correct.
- Finishing too far from the kerb. More than about 45 centimetres out and the examiner may consider it a fault, particularly if it would obstruct passing traffic on a narrow Maltese street.
- Taking an unreasonable number of corrections. One or two adjustments are fine. Repeated back-and-forth suggests a lack of control.
Practising on Malta's streets
Find a quiet residential road — parts of Attard, Balzan or the back streets of San Gwann are good choices — with a genuine gap between parked cars. Practise until you can park in a space roughly one and a half car lengths long without needing more than one correction. Then try tighter spaces. On test day, the examiner will choose a space that is fair, but you want the confidence that comes from having done it in harder conditions.
Pay attention to Malta's specific hazards while manoeuvring: scooters weaving past, pedestrians stepping off narrow pavements, and cats. Always re-check your mirrors and blind spots if you pause during the manoeuvre.
What if you make a mistake?
A single minor error during the parallel park — a slightly wide finish, one extra correction — will not fail you. The test is marked as a whole. What matters is that you demonstrate control, observation and awareness throughout. If you realise you have misjudged the angle, it is better to stop, pull forward and start again calmly than to force the car into the space and risk hitting the kerb or the other vehicle.
SteerClear's Malta test routes let you study the roads around your test centre before you drive them. Knowing the junctions and lane layout in advance means you arrive at the manoeuvre section with less stress and more attention to spare. Combine route knowledge with solid manoeuvre practice and you will feel genuinely ready on test day.