Parking can sometimes be a pretty frustrating task. One form which many drivers struggle with is parallel parking. While it might seem nearly impossible, there are some ways to make it easier and avoid hitting other cars…
Parallel Parking: It’s a No Brainer!
Get into position
The first part of parallel parking is getting yourself into position. This means finding a good spot for your car. Don’t just jump at the first open spot you see. You want to make sure there’s plenty of space for you to park before you try anything. Once you find your space, turn on your right signal and check around for other cars coming.
After you check that the coast is clear, it’s time to start moving. To start, line your car up parallel with the car in front of the space. Then, back up slowly so the middle of your car is in line with the other’s rear bumper. Be sure to keep you signal on, so other cars coming from behind know what you’re doing.
Move to the curb
Now that you’ve lined up your approach, the next step of parallel parking is to start moving into the space. The problem that most people run into is not cutting their steering wheel sharply enough. Rather, you’ll want to sharply cut it so you approach the curb at a 45-degree angle.
Continue to back up until you see the rear car’s headlights in your left side mirror. For most cars, this will also ensure that the right side mirror is also lined up with the front car’s rear bumper. This is your cue to begin cutting the wheel the other way. Continue to cut until your car is lined up with the other ones, and parallel to the curb.
Finishing up
At this point, the hard part of parallel parking is over. Now, all you need to do is straighten up. Make sure to center your car between the others as best you can. That way, you give everyone enough room to get out. As for the curb, you want to be around 12-18 inches away from it.