Parallel parking eliminated from Nevada driving exam

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has eliminated the parallel parking portion of the driving skills test.

The test still meets the national standards set by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators even without the parallel parking element, Department public information officer Kevin Malone said. The changes took effect Jan. 13.

Nevada joins several other states, including California, Colorado and Florida that have removed parallel parking from their driving skills exams.

“Testing of the parking skills needed is met by the requirements of entering, and backing out of, a perpendicular parking space and by other vehicle control requirements,” Malone said. “We believe this change makes our drive tests safer and we are still able to maintain the integrity of our mission, putting safe drivers on the road.”

The changes are expected to reduce the number of repeat visits by drivers who can pass everything but parallel parking, officials said.

Advances in technology, such as back up cameras, parking assistance and sensors had no bearing on the decision, Malone said.

Some driving schools have since stopped teaching parallel parking unless a student requests it, officials said.