New ‘B plates launched’ for drivers who are bad at parking

We probably all know someone who could do with one of these

Many of us will be familiar with the L plates for Learner drivers and P plates for probationary drivers that have just passed their test.

But now, Scrap Car Comparison has come up with B plates - standing for 'bad parking.'

The launch comes off the back of new research that reveals almost half (48%) of all drivers feel they could benefit from further training or assistance when it comes to their parking.

A further 17% say they have experienced stress or worry about having to park their car and 30% say they spend extra time searching for a parking bay that has free spaces either side of it, rather than trying to squeeze in to one flanked by other cars. 

Scrap Car Comparison hopes the new B Plate stickers will make a difference and encourage drivers to ‘own’ their parking pitfalls, as well as seek the additional guidance required to gain more confidence behind the wheel.

The plates are entirely the creation of Scrap Car Comparisons, and are not a new plate from the Department of Transport so give you no official status on the roads. However, they could be a useful little signifier to others that you don't rate your parking ability.

David Kottaun, Operations Manager at Scrap Car Comparison said: “No matter where you are in the world, you’ll come across an example of bad parking, but it seems this isn’t something to simply shake your head at, as many drivers are experiencing stress and embarrassment when parking their cars”. 

“Just like a P plate enables new drivers to ask for patience from other road users, our B plates will give people the chance to hold their hands up, say sorry and ask for forgiveness, if they know their parking leaves a lot to be desired”. 

“We hope that the plates also serve as encouragement for drivers to seek additional parking guidance to build up their confidence, because while bad parking can often simply be frustrating, it can also be dangerous if a car is left too far out in a road, so will need addressing. Often, good parking comes down to staying calm, remembering what you were taught in your driving lessons and taking each turn of the wheel, step by step”.

Scrap Car Comparison are offering a limited number of B plate stickers to interested drivers for free via a simple ‘register interest’ form on their website. If there something that plenty of people want to get their hands on then the brand may look to make them more widely available in 2025. 

As part of their research into parking confidence, Scrap Car Comparison also looked at the owners of which car brands are most lacking when it comes to their parking skills. 

Ranked by how many owners of each brand feel they need more parking training or assistance, the owners of German manufacturer BMW feature as the most in need of a B plate, with 68% of BMW owners feeling their parking skills could be improved. 

It was a bit of a clean sweep for German manufacturers as well, with Audi (64%) and Mercedes-Benz (63%) owners completing the podium of the nation’s worst parkers.

The full top 10 was:

1. BMW - 68%
2. Audi - 64%
3. Mercedes - 63%
4. Honda - 63%
5. Toyota - 51%
6. Kia - 48%
7. Citroen - 47%
8. Ford - 47%
9. Hyundai - 46%
10. Fiat - 45%