ICBC: New survey reveals top maneuvers B.C. drivers avoid and find most challenging

June 25, 2024

Ahead of the busy summer driving season, we checked in with B.C. drivers to gauge their confidence when it comes to performing certain driving maneuvers when behind the wheel.

According to a new ICBC survey * conducted by Ipsos, 59% of B.C. drivers surveyed said parallel parking was the most difficult maneuver to learn when they started to drive and even today, 41% of drivers say they avoid parallel parking when possible.

The survey also shows that 35% of respondents found backing into a parking stall the second most difficult maneuver to learn and 20% avoid it all together if they can now. Finally, 26% of respondents ranked merging onto a highway as the third most difficult maneuver to learn but only 6% avoid highway merging now when possible.

When it comes down to overall driving skill, 68% of B.C. drivers surveyed rated their driving skills as excellent but were critical of other drivers’ skills with 33% of respondents stating that other drivers have poor driving skills.

The survey also showed the top three ranked actions that B.C. drivers surveyed feel other drivers most need to improve on: leaving enough following distance (58%), followed by giving other drivers space when merging onto a highway (47%) and coming to a complete stop at a stop sign (36%).

“For some of us, it may be decades since we learned to drive and our road test is a distant memory in the rear-view mirror,” said Jerry Boal, ICBC driver licensing office manager. “We’re here to offer a refresher and share tips to help drivers feel more confident with certain maneuvers such as parallel parking and reversing into a parking stall. These are important skills for drivers to have and it’s never too late to improve.”

Follow our new video series on Instagram and watch videos with tips on each maneuver on YouTube.

Our Learning to Drive Smart app and Tuning up for Drivers guide are also great resources for drivers, and available on icbc.com.

Tips for top maneuvers surveyed:

1. Parallel parking. Parallel parking is an important driving skill to have, even if you rarely need to do it. First, make sure you have enough space to park (at least one-and-a-half car lengths). Check traffic and signal your stop by flashing your brake lights and turning on your signal indicator.Stop about one metre away from, and parallel to, the car ahead of the space in which you want to park. The rear of your vehicle should be even with the rear of the vehicle you’ve stopped beside. Do a 360º check to make sure it’s safe to proceed. Back up, turning the wheel sharply to the right until the car is at approximately a 45º angle to the curb. As your front door passes the back bumper of the car ahead, straighten the wheels and continue to back up. When you’re clear of the car ahead, turn the wheels sharply to the left and back slowly toward the car behind you. Stop when your car is positioned between the car in front and the car behind. Practice makes perfect. If you’re looking to build up your confidence with this maneuver, try parallel parking on an empty street and use cones to simulate parked vehicles.

2. Backing into a parking stall. You can increase your field of vision and reduce blind spots by backing into parking spots. It’s important to not only rely on your backup camera when backing in. Make sure to use your mirrors, use the painted lines as a guide if present and shoulder check for greater vision of your surroundings. Park in less busy areas or farther away, if possible. Park in spots that are large enough for your vehicle and with enough room to be able to open your doors without hitting a neighbouring vehicle.

3. Merging onto a highway. Scan the highway by looking ahead and check your mirrors for a safe gap to enter. Use the entrance lane to get up to the speed of traffic, while remaining within the speed limit. Check your mirrors, signal and shoulder check to ensure a vehicle isn’t in your blind spot. If a vehicle in front of you is also merging, leave adequate space behind the vehicle in front while merging onto the highway. Be aware that cycling is permitting on some highways, so be careful not to cut in front of a cyclist when merging.

4. Making a left turn without an advanced turn signal. The majority of crashes happen at intersections, so be alert when approaching and navigating through one. When setting up for a left turn you should be in the left most lane. Signal in advance to let other drivers and road users know what you’re intending to do. Make sure not to signal too early if there are side streets and driveways before the intersection. As you approach the intersection, slow down and look out for other road users. On a green light, or when it is your turn to go at a four-way stop, scan left-centre-right before you make your turn. One good tip for left turns is to only enter the intersection if there is no other vehicle waiting to turn.

5. Passing a cyclist. Expect to see cyclists on the road at anytime, day or night. Yield to cyclists as you would to any other vehicle. Allow plenty of following distance. If you want to pass a cyclist, leave enough space – at least one metre if the speed limit is up to 50km/h and 1.5 metres if the speed limit is higher than 50km/h. On a narrow road, wait for a clear, straight stretch so you can pull out and give the cyclist room. Remember, you’re allowed to cross a single solid yellow line when passing a cyclist, provided you can do it safely. On a multi-lane road, change lanes rather than risk crowding the cyclist.

6. Changing lanes. Decide well in advance that you want to change lanes. Consider that the vehicles in the lane you’re moving into have the right-of-way. Make sure to shoulder check in the direction of your lane change to check your blind spot. Maintain your speed and change lanes. Keep at least a two second distance with the vehicle in front of you and remember to turn off your signal once you’ve changed lanes.

Editor's note: ICBC's Jerry Boal, driver licensing office manager, is available for interviews this week.

*Survey conducted by Ipsos. Total respondents = 801; completed surveys = 692. Data collected from May 9 to 14, 2024. Those who did not have a valid B.C. driver’s licence (BCDL) and those who didn’t know if they had a BCDL were screened out (109). Full survey results  available.