Group trips are so much more exciting when you travel together, but handling a large vehicle might be a little daunting, especially if you’ve never done it before. We have some great advice for driving a minibus that you can read here, but this blog post focuses on parking tips.
Walk around the vehicle
You can get a really good sense of how large the vehicle is by having a walk around it. It’ll give you a good idea of the dimensions and can help you with road position and parking.
It’s also a good idea to have someone else walk around the minibus while you’re in the driver’s seat. You can watch to see where they disappear giving you a feel for where the blind spots are so you can be extra cautions when parking.
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Use your mirrors
There are lots more blind spots when parking a minibus than you’re used to in a car. Make sure you check, and double check, your mirrors so you know exactly where your vehicle is at all times in relation to other road users. This is especially important when driving and parking an unfamiliar hire vehicle.
Give yourself space
When you’re new to driving a minibus, give yourself plenty of space when it comes to parking. Your turning circle is much wider than you’re used to, so you might find that your front end swings over into other spaces.
Give yourself a break and scout out an easy spot that’s not surrounded by other vehicles. If you have to park near other cars, look for smaller models so you get a little extra wiggle room to manoeuvre.
You might also need to make corrections to straighten up when you’re in the space. Back up slowly and keep checking your mirrors to ensure you aren’t in any danger of hitting anything.
Break early
The larger vehicle requires more time to stop, so make sure you break early when you’re driving and parking your minibus. You can avoid costly damages to your hire minibus and other vehicles around by taking things slow and breaking early.
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Look for specialist parking bays
You can save a lot of hassle for yourself by choosing specialist parking bays designed for large vehicles. If you plan your journey in advance, you can scout out large parking spots and take a lot of the stress out of minibus parking.
Ask a passenger for help
You’ll have a minibus of friends and family to help you get into spaces. Ask one or two to jump out and help you guide the vehicle into the space.
Remember where your doors open
You’ll need plenty of space to open your doors too, so be aware of that when you’re parking. You don’t want to get perfectly parked into a space and then realise your passengers can’t get in or out!
We hope these tips will be useful when you head out on your next group trip. Our blog is full of advice for driving large vehicles and lots of other useful information. Check it out and arrange your travel with Meashams today.