SLOW! SLOW! SLOW!
For this to work with precision, it needs to be carried out as slow as possible.
As Slow as a Tortoise would be nice figuratively speaking.
If it is carried out slowly, it has the benefit of keeping the area around the car safe, as it will give you time to look around throughout the manoeuvre.
It will also allow you to correct any error of judgment during the procedure. If you go too fast you will run out of space too quickly, will not be able to carry out effective observations and could potentially lead to either hitting someone or something.
Looking at the processes below, once you have found your datum point STOP THE CAR from moving. This will mean that you can start from a tiny speed rather than the car already having momentum which usually leads to turning in at the wrong point or running out of space to complete the manoeuvre correctly and requiring a shunt to correct it.
When beginning to learn to bay park, it is possibly easier to try to learn how to do this using a Datum point on your car.
In the images below, we have used the passenger door mirror as the Datum point.
Position the car so that from the drivers seat it would look as though the passenger door mirror would be above one of the bays lines if you imagined the line continued all the way out and under your car.
For the 90degree method, once you have found the Datum point, Stop the car, place the steering to full lock in the direction of the bays, carry out full and effective observations and reverse until your car is point at 90degrees from the start position. At this stage straighten your steering and the car should end up in the middle of the bay you were intending it to go in. If it hasn't quite made it you can pull forwards using a little adjustment to the left or right and the reverse back into the bay to make it straighter.
For the 45degree method, use the same process as in the 90degree method by finding the door mirror above the white bay line, but this time place the steering to full lock to the right. Now drive the car forward until it is about 45degree from your start position. At this stage stop, straighten your steering, place the car into reverse gear and then whilst reversing, add on or take off any steering that is necessary to ensure you end up in the centre of your bay.
PLEASE BE AWARE!
Standard car parking space are 2.4metres wide, however not every car parking space is standard!
This would mean that the larger the space the less likely the 3 bay method will work every time and adjustment will more than likely be necessary.
This adjustment may only be small and can be achieved during the normal process, but if not then you may need to pull out of the bay completely whilst making adjustments and then select reverse and make your final adjustments when re-entering the bay.
With the 45 degree method once you have found your datum point that works for you in your car then adjustment usually is not necessary.
