Written by
Chamitha Lokuwithana — Ex-VicRoads Licence Testing Officer
1,800+ official drive tests conducted · Founder, Lessons2Drive
Yes — parking facing oncoming traffic is illegal in Victoria, and it catches more drivers out than you would expect. But parking rules in Victoria go well beyond this one question. The direction you park, how far from the kerb, where you cannot park at all, and the exact measurements required in the VicRoads drive test reverse parallel park — all of these are part of the same body of rules. This guide covers all of them in one place.
The Direct Answer
Under Regulation 208 of the Road Safety Road Rules 2017, a driver must not park a vehicle on a road unless the left side of the vehicle is as close as practicable to the left-hand side of the road. This means your vehicle must face in the same direction as the traffic flow in the lane nearest to you.
Parallel parking on a two-way street: You must park on the left side of the road facing the same direction as traffic. Parking on the right side facing oncoming traffic — even briefly — is an offence.
Angled parking (45 or 60 degrees): Your vehicle must face in the same direction as the nearest lane of traffic. You cannot reverse-angle park into an angled space unless signs specifically permit it.
90-degree parking: The exception — vehicles may park front-in or rear-in at 90 degrees unless a sign specifies otherwise. Direction of entry does not matter at right-angle spaces.
One-way streets: On a one-way street you may park on either side of the road, but your vehicle must still face in the direction of traffic flow on that street — not against it.
Why the Rule Exists — Three Specific Safety Reasons
1. To park facing the wrong way you must cross oncoming traffic
On a two-way street, pulling into a space on the right side requires crossing the oncoming lane — a manoeuvre that creates direct conflict with approaching vehicles. The wrong-way parking rule eliminates this hazard entirely by requiring all parallel parking to be on the left, with the flow of traffic.
2. Headlights facing oncoming traffic at night create glare
A vehicle parked facing oncoming traffic with its headlights on — or with daytime running lights active — directs light directly into the eyes of approaching drivers at night. Even parked vehicle lights can cause momentary vision impairment at the wrong moment. A vehicle parked with the flow has its tail lights facing oncoming traffic — red lights that are far less disorienting.
3. Pulling out from a wrong-way park requires entering traffic on the wrong side
Leaving a wrong-way parallel park requires either reversing a long distance or performing a U-turn to re-enter the correct lane. Both manoeuvres in live traffic create hazards for following vehicles. A correctly parked vehicle simply pulls forward into the lane and merges with traffic naturally.
The Drive Test Connection — Reverse Parallel Park
The reverse parallel park is a mandatory task in Stage 1 of the VicRoads drive test. It cannot be skipped — if it is not completed during Stage 1, the test terminates at the end of Stage 1 regardless of how well everything else went. The direction and kerb-side positioning rules that apply to everyday parking apply here too, with additional specific measurements that the examiner assesses.
⚡ Reverse Parallel Park — Exact VicRoads Criteria
Starting position
The vehicle must stop level with the vehicle in front of the space, with the left wheels no more than 1 metre from the kerb at the start position. Stopping too far out creates an angle that makes the reverse park geometrically much harder.
Final position — kerb distance
The left wheels must finish no more than 300mm from the kerb. This is the most commonly failed measurement. 300mm is approximately the width of an A4 page laid flat. The vehicle must be parallel to the kerb — not angled.
Final position — front clearance
The front of the vehicle must finish no more than 2 car lengths behind the front vehicle. The vehicle must be within the designated space — not protruding significantly in front or behind the boundary vehicles.
Number of movements
Maximum 4 movements — forward and reverse counts. The examiner counts each direction change as one movement. If the park is not completed within 4 movements, it is recorded as a fail for that task.
Time limit
Maximum 2 minutes from when the examiner directs the task. Clock starts when the direction is given — not when you begin moving. Students who overthink the approach and delay moving often run into time pressure before they have used a single movement.
Observation before reversing
The driver must look out the rear window — not rely on mirrors alone — immediately before each reversing movement. This is a specific Observation criteria requirement for all reversing tasks. Mirror-only reversing is a Fail to Look Critical Error.
Direction
The reverse park must be completed on the left side of the road, in the direction of traffic flow — consistent with Victorian parking rules. The examiner will position the task on the correct side.
What I Saw Most Often in the Reverse Park Assessment
"The reverse parallel park was the task that most clearly separated students who had practised it specifically from those who had only driven past kerbs during their 120 hours. The three most common failure points I recorded were: finishing more than 300mm from the kerb — often because the starting position was too far out; using a fifth movement because the first approach angle was misjudged; and mirror-only reversing without looking through the rear window, which is a Fail to Look Critical Error regardless of whether the park itself is technically successful."
"The 2-minute time limit is rarely reached by students who have practised — but frequently by students who stop, reassess for 30 seconds before each movement, and discover they are out of time before completing the task. Practice builds the confidence to commit to each movement rather than hesitating between them."
— Chamitha Lokuwithana, Ex-VicRoads Licence Testing Officer · Founder, Lessons2Drive
Where You Cannot Park in Victoria — The Complete List
Beyond the direction-of-parking rule, Victorian road rules specify numerous locations where parking is prohibited entirely. Many of these are assessed in the drive test — stopping in a prohibited location during the test is a Critical Error or Immediate Termination depending on the specific location.
✗ On or near crossings
Must not park within 20 metres before a children's crossing or within 10 metres before or after a pedestrian crossing. Stopping on a crosswalk during the drive test is a Critical Error.
✗ Near intersections
Must not park within 10 metres of an intersection without traffic lights, or within 20 metres of an intersection with traffic lights, unless a sign permits it.
✗ Bus stops and zones
Must not park within 20 metres before or 10 metres after a bus stop sign unless you are a bus, or unless a sign permits it.
✗ Double lines and medians
Must not park on a median strip or in a way that obstructs the flow of traffic. Must not park on or over double centre lines.
✗ Driveways and access points
Must not park across a driveway or in a way that prevents access to or from a property, including your own.
✗ Fire hydrants and infrastructure
Must not park within 1 metre of a fire hydrant, within 1 metre of a fire plug indicator, or in front of a loading zone during its hours of operation.
✗ Railway level crossings
Must not stop on a railway level crossing or within the tracks. Stopping here during the drive test is an Immediate Termination Error (Other Dangerous Action) — the test ends immediately.
✗ No stopping zones
A No Stopping sign or yellow edge line means you cannot stop at all — not even briefly to pick up or set down passengers. This is stricter than No Parking, which permits brief stops.
No Stopping vs No Parking — The Distinction Most Drivers Miss
No Stopping
You cannot stop at all — not even for a second to drop someone off. The vehicle must keep moving. Applies at yellow edge lines, No Stopping signs, and intersections within the specified distances.
No Parking
You may stop briefly — up to 2 minutes — to pick up or set down passengers or goods, as long as the driver remains in or immediately beside the vehicle. You cannot leave the vehicle unattended.
Parking Rules — Quick Reference
Wrong-way parking: Illegal. Must park with traffic flow. Left side of road for parallel parking.
90-degree exception: Front-in or rear-in both permitted unless signs say otherwise.
Kerb distance: Left wheels must be as close as practicable to the kerb — drive test requires within 300mm.
Reverse park — movements: Maximum 4. Each direction change = 1 movement.
Reverse park — time: Maximum 2 minutes from examiner instruction.
Reverse park — observation: Must look out rear window before each reversing movement.
Master the reverse park before test day
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The reverse parallel park is the most technically specific task in the VicRoads drive test — and it is mandatory. We teach it to the exact criteria: 300mm kerb distance, 4 movements maximum, rear-window observation before every reversing movement. Founded by an ex-VicRoads Licence Testing Officer. 304 five-star Google reviews.
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