How to Park a Car in Drivers Education

Learning how to park a car is an essential part of drivers education.

There are five main types of parking taught in drivers education: parallel, perpendicular, angle, uphill and downhill. Each kind of parking begins and ends with the same procedures, with unique steps in-between. It's essential to master all five types of parking during drivers education; all types of these parking skills will be utilized at some point or another during your time as a driver. Successful parking can save a driver fines and parking tickets. In a worse scenario, proper hillside parking can prevent a car from rolling to the bottom of a hill if a braking mechanism fails.

Instructions

Perpendicular Parking

1. Signal to indicate that you'll be turning into a parking spot with your vehicle's turn signal. Drive at a slow pace (inching along with your foot over the brake) as you approach.

2. Position the car 8 feet (or more) out from the parking space. Sharply turn the steering wheel to go into the space when your front bumper has just rolled past the car in the spot preceding the space you've chosen. Begin to straighten the wheels out when the front end of the car passes over the middle of the parking space.

3. Pull into the space fully, wheels straight, put the car in "Park," and set the parking brake. Turn off the ignition.

Angle Parking

1. Signal to indicate that you're turning into the parking spot. Drive slowly as you approach the spot.

2. Position the car about 6 feet out from the parking space. When your front bumper reaches the middle of the parking space, brake lightly and turn the steering wheel about a half turn to slowly enter the spot. Place the left front wheel in the center of the space as you enter. Straighten the wheels out as the front bumper passes over the middle of the spot.

3. Pull into the space fully, wheels straight, put the car in "Park," and set the parking brake. Turn off the ignition.

Parallel Parking

1. Signal to show that you'll be turning into the parking spot. Make sure the spot is longer than the car you're driving.

2. Pull one car length past the space you want to enter. Keep your car close to the car parked in the space ahead: 2 to 3 feet is ideal. Look in the rear-view mirror to make sure no traffic has stopped behind you. Wave any stopped cars behind you to go past. Once the space behind your car is clear, put the car in "Reverse."

3. Release the brake and let the car start to roll backward. Look over your shoulder toward the parking space as you reverse. While slowly reversing, make quick visual checks to the front and sides of the car --- especially to the traffic side. Begin to turn the steering wheel when your back bumper reaches the middle of the space. Turn the steering wheel toward the space: if parking on the right, turn toward the right, if parking on the left, turn toward the left. Continue to make visual checks around the car.

4. Begin to turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction once the rear bumper is well into the space, but not right next to the curb. Watch the front end of your car, taking care not to hit the back bumper of the car in front of you as you swing into the spot. Make any necessary adjustments by pulling forward and reentering the space at a better angle, if necessary. Once fully in the space, with front wheels angled toward the street, put the car in "Drive," straighten the wheels and roll forward.

5. Pull into the space fully, wheels straight, put the car in "Park," and set the parking brake. Turn off the ignition.

Uphill Parking

1. Signal that you are pulling into a spot. Follow the instructions for parallel parking if there are other vehicles on the hill.

2. Bring the car to a stop within a foot from the curb. With your foot on the brake, turn the front wheels of the car away from the curb. If parking on the right side of the street, turn the steering wheel to the left. On the left side of the street, turn the steering wheel to the right. If there is no curb, angle the front wheels in the opposite direction.

3. Put the car in park, and set the parking brake (very important on a hill). Turn off the ignition.

Downhill Parking

1. Follow the instructions for parallel parking plus the final steps for downhill parking if there are other cars parked on the hill. If there are no other cars, signal to indicate that you'll be pulling the car over to park it.

2. Bring the car to a stop within a foot from the curb. With your foot on the brake, turn the front wheels of the car toward the curb. If parking on the right side of the street, turn the steering wheel to the right. On the left side of the street, turn the steering wheel to the left. If there is no curb, the front wheels should be angled in exactly the same way.

3. Put the car in park, and set the parking brake (very important on a hill). Turn off the ignition.

Tips & Warnings

• When parking, always pay attention to street signs specific to the area you're parking in; for example, if parking spaces are back-in only, don't pull into the spot, back into it. While parking in parking lots with designated spaces, always aim to center the car in-between the painted lines.

References

• Drivers Ed Guru: Become a Parking Expert.
• Cyber Drive Illinois: Rules of the Road.
• The Unofficial DMV Guide: How to Parallel Park.