Beautiful. Until your instructor changes the car and the formula suddenly parks you somewhere between two spaces and a personal crisis.
A reference point belongs to a setup
Where a line appears in your mirror depends on the car, the mirror position, your seat position and the dimensions around you. A mark that worked yesterday can still be useful today — but only after you check what changed.
That is why a reference point is a cue, not a law of geometry handed down by CBR.
Keep the manoeuvre alive
Even with a good reference point, keep observing. Stop or correct when needed. Let other road users go first. Use the camera if allowed, but do not let one screen replace the rest of the car.
The best reference point is the one that helps you understand where the vehicle is going — and survives contact with reality.
How to calibrate before you trust it
- Test it slowly in a lesson.
- Watch where the rear of the car actually goes when the line reaches the mirror.
- Compare with the space around you.
- Adjust the cue if the geometry is different. Do not repeat the same steering input because the sentence was easy to remember.
How to correct a reverse park without rushing
Stop before a steering adjustment if visibility or clearance is uncertain. Recheck pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles approaching from either direction; continue at a speed that lets you stop immediately. If the angle is wrong, you can move forwards and readjust when safe. While reversing, you perform a special manoeuvre and must let other traffic go first under RVV 1990 Article 54.
Can you use the reversing camera?
Yes, the July 2026 CBR Rijprocedure B, section 3.7, permits assistance systems such as a reversing camera as a supplement to observation. You must still look directly and use the relevant mirrors and shoulder checks. A camera image does not show every approaching road user, especially to the sides of the car.
Sources: CBR Rijprocedure B, special manoeuvres; RVV 1990 Article 54.
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