Who Parks Better in 2025? Revisiting the Gender Parking Debate with New Data

More than a decade ago, a study commissioned by NCP sparked headlines around the world. It claimed women were better at parking than men, despite taking longer to do it. The study gathered data from 700 car parks across the UK, using secret observers to watch how drivers parked. The findings stirred both debate and disbelief, challenging long-held assumptions about gender and driving ability.

Now, in 2025, it’s time to revisit the question: Do gender-based differences in parking still exist? With new technology, changing driving habits and updated research, the answer is more complex—and more interesting—than ever before.

What the 2013 Study Found

The original NCP study tracked thousands of drivers and focused specifically on parking behavior. Here’s what it found:

• Women took longer to park on average.
• Women were more likely to park across two bays.
• Women were better at aligning their vehicle before entering a space.
• Women were more likely to reverse into parking spaces, the method recommended by instructors.
• Men were faster and more confident but less precise.

The conclusion? Women were rated slightly better overall, based on a scoring system developed by the researchers. Still, the results were close and the methodology—observational data without driver context—left room for criticism.

What Has Changed Since Then?

Several major shifts have reshaped driving behavior since 2013. These shifts make it necessary to re-evaluate older conclusions.

1. Rise of Parking Technology

Most modern vehicles now include parking aids such as:

• Rear-view cameras
• 360-degree sensor systems
• Self-parking features in higher-end models

These tools reduce the importance of raw spatial awareness. Instead, drivers rely on sensors and automated guidance. This levels the playing field and makes gender-based differences less significant in practice.

2. Urbanization and Changing Driving Patterns

Fewer young people own cars in 2025 than in 2013, especially in urban areas where public transport and rideshare options dominate. Those who do drive often do so less frequently. This has two effects:

• Experienced drivers tend to remain more skilled, regardless of gender.
• Occasional drivers (regardless of gender) may rely more on technology and caution when parking.

3. Gender Perception Has Evolved

Discussions around gender today are more nuanced. Most recent studies avoid binary assumptions. Researchers now analyze driving skill through behavioral patterns rather than assuming outcomes based on gender alone. This shift allows for deeper insights.

New Research: What the Data Says in 2025

Several recent studies have re-examined driving and parking behaviors, using larger datasets and more rigorous methodology. A 2023 meta-analysis from the University of Amsterdam compiled data from 48 international studies involving over 20,000 participants. Key findings include:

• Men still park slightly faster on average—by 3 to 5 seconds.
• Women show more caution and adjust more frequently, especially in tight spaces.
• When using automated parking aids, performance differences disappear entirely.

Interestingly, the study also found that individual experience and confidence were far more important predictors of parking success than gender. Drivers who practiced parking regularly performed better, regardless of identity.

Is Confidence Still a Key Factor?

Confidence was a recurring theme in both the 2013 and 2023 studies. Men were more likely to park in one fluid motion, rarely readjusting. Women took more time and often corrected their position once or twice before settling.

In real-world terms, this means women may appear slower or more hesitant but end up with better-aligned vehicles. This ties into a broader behavioral trait: risk tolerance. Men, on average, take more risks while driving. Women tend to be more rule-bound and careful, especially in structured environments like parking lots.

What Role Does Training Play?

Driving instructors report that female learners often take longer to gain initial confidence but retain skills more consistently over time. Male learners may learn faster but also tend to plateau earlier.

New driver simulations used by licensing authorities in Germany and South Korea now confirm these patterns. In parking modules, women were more likely to reverse-park and scored higher on accuracy metrics, while men excelled in speed and assertiveness.

The Influence of Automation

With self-parking cars becoming mainstream, the future of this debate may be short-lived. In models from Tesla, BMW, and Toyota, parallel and bay parking can now be done hands-free. The driver simply presses a button, and the car parks itself using sensors and spatial mapping.

This doesn’t just eliminate human error—it erases human behavior from the equation. As adoption spreads, questions of “who parks better” may become irrelevant. Instead, we may ask which manufacturers build the most reliable parking systems.

Where the Debate Stands Now

The question of whether men or women are better at parking has shifted from a playful stereotype to a more nuanced behavioral and technological issue. Updated research shows:

• Gender-based performance gaps are small and shrinking.
• Parking aids and automation neutralize most differences.
• Driving frequency and training matter more than gender.
• Confidence and risk tolerance still influence outcomes—but not always positively.

Ultimately, the evidence suggests that asking “who parks better” may no longer be the right question. In 2025, it’s more accurate—and more useful—to focus on how people adapt to tools, training and environments that shape their driving habits.

So, Is the Original Topic Still Worth Talking About?

Yes—but with a modern lens. Instead of reinforcing outdated stereotypes, today’s conversations can highlight how parking behavior reflects broader social patterns, personal habits, and the impact of rapidly evolving technology. By updating the topic with fresh data and inclusive thinking, we don’t just answer an old question—we ask better ones.