It is always important to use designated parking areas like garages, parking lots, and roadside parking zones for your vehicle. By sticking to this practice, you lower the chances of your vehicle getting stolen or damaged. Further, you also avoid the inconvenience and expense of getting a hefty traffic fine. There are several ways to park your car, and parallel parking is one of them. Parallel parking is a tricky method that involves positioning your vehicle in alignment with the road, alongside other parked cars, facing the same direction as the traffic on that side of the road. Let’s look at some popular car parallel parking tips.
Tips for parallel parking cars
Take a look at some popular parallel parking tips for beginners:
- Begin by finding a suitable parking spot that's larger than your vehicle, and remember to keep a distance of about one to two feet from the car ahead of your chosen parking spot. This initial space is vital for the parallel parking process.
- Shift into reverse gear while staying mindful of the presence of other vehicles and pedestrians in your surroundings.
- When you want to fine-tune your position, switch to the forward gear, allowing for an equal amount of space both in front and behind your car, thus optimising the available parking area.
- To signal your intention, make use of your turn signal.
- Once your vehicle's rear bumper aligns with the one in front, sharply turn your steering wheel to the right to bring your car's rear end closer to the curb.
- As you reverse, maintain alignment by positioning your car's rear bumper parallel to the car in front.
- One of the effective parallel parking tips involves turning your head to monitor the car behind through the rear window while reversing, adjusting your speed accordingly.
- Manage your vehicle's speed and steering with precision.
- As your car's front end clears the rear bumper of the front vehicle, straighten the steering wheel to parallel-align your car with the curb.
- Continue reversing until your vehicle forms an angled position towards the curb.