Mastering the Art of Parking: A Comprehensive Guide

Are you wondering how to park your car perfectly between the lines without hitting another vehicle? Fitting into a tiny spot in a crowded parking lot can be a little tricky at first, but there are lots of tips that will make it a lot easier to do. Whether the lot has perpendicular, angled, or parallel parking spots, we’ve got you covered. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of different parking techniques, offering step-by-step instructions and expert advice to help drivers of all levels master the art of parking.

Understanding Different Types of Parking

Parking refers to the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied. There are various types of parking, with the most common being angle parking, perpendicular parking, and parallel parking. It’s surprising how many parking scenarios one may encounter!

Angle Parking

Angle parking is the most common type of parking spot found in high-traffic areas and one-way roads. The purpose of parking at an angle is that it allows the drivers to more easily access the parking spot, and more easily drive out of it. Angle parking is essentially parking at an angle (often 45°) to the road. When parking in an angled spot, try to stay about 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 m) away from the ends of the spaces. Spin the wheel about half of a turn and lift off of the brakes to slowly pull forward. As soon as half of your vehicle is pulled in, crank your steering wheel back to the original position to straighten out your tires.

Perpendicular Parking

Learning perpendicular parking is important since it’s the second most common type of parking spot. Perpendicular parking is similar to angle parking, but requires greater care in turning. Perpendicular parking is done in spaces marked in a 90-degree angle to the curb or a building. Just as when parking at an angle, you want to find a parking spot with at least 4 feet clear space to each of the sides. To get as much room as possible for turning, you need to place your vehicle toward the opposite side of the aisle. If the aisle allows for traffic from both directions, try to move as close to the center of the aisle as possible. The front bumper of your car should be approximately half a car’s length away from the parking spot. Align your mirror with the first white line dividing your parking space from others. Before you start to move into the parking space, check your mirrors and blind spots. Then turn your wheels fully to the left, take your foot off the brake, and slowly creep forward into the parking spot. As you get into the parking spot, you will need to straighten out your wheels again. Once you are in the parking space, you want to make sure your vehicle is correctly aligned within the space and to vehicles parked on either side. Be careful to not hit nearby vehicles with your car door as you exit your car.

Expert Tip: According to Ibrahim Onerli, a Driving Instructor and the Manager of Revolution Driving School in New York City, "Perpendicular parking is basically a soft L turn." Keep your steering wheel turned so your vehicle straightens out within the lines of the parking space. If there’s a parking space in front of you, make sure your vehicle doesn’t extend into it. Once the sides of your vehicle are parallel with the lines of the parking space, turn your steering wheel back to its original position and park your car. If you’re too close to the line on one side, slowly back straight out of the parking spot and pull back in. When you back out of the space, put on your turn signal and slowly reverse your vehicle.

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Parallel Parking

Many drivers go to great lengths to avoid having to parallel park. While parallel parking is a little tricky and takes some practice to master, there is no reason to be nervous about this driving skill. Depending on where you live, you may be required to demonstrate your ability to do parallel parking during your driver license examination. Practice your skills before your road test or before you are required to parallel park on a busy roadway. This is the last parking maneuver you should learn as a new driver.

Mastering Parallel Parking: A Step-by-Step Guide

Parallel parking involves positioning a vehicle parallel to the road and between two parked cars, a task that often causes anxiety for many drivers. This skill requires practice to master, and expert advice and safety tips can be invaluable for those attempting it for the first time.

Step 1: Positioning Your Vehicle

Start by aligning your car parallel to the vehicle parked in front of the open space, approximately two to three feet from the side. Align your passenger-side mirror with the side mirror of the car in front of your parking spot.

Step 2: Checking Your Surroundings

Before making any moves, ensure your rearview and side mirrors are properly adjusted. Then, check all mirrors and your blind spots for other vehicles, pedestrians, and obstacles. Ensure no traffic is coming from behind, and you're aware of your surroundings. Use your rear-view and side mirrors before moving the vehicle in order to check that there are no obstacles around you. Put on your turn signal to let other drivers know you’re about to pull into the space.

Step 3: Starting to Back Up

Once you are certain that there are no other vehicles in your blind spot, shift your car into reverse. Put your car in reverse and start backing up slowly. Begin steering your wheel to the right.

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Step 4: Straightening the Steering Wheel

As your car moves into the empty parallel parking spot, slowly straighten your steering wheel as you continue to move backwards towards the parked car at the other end of the parking space. As you are maneuvering your vehicle, continuously check all mirrors and through your windows and front windshield to ensure you are not in danger of hitting either of the vehicles bordering the parallel parking space.

Step 5: Turning the Steering Wheel to the Left

Once the front of your vehicle has passed the back bumper of the vehicle in the parking spot in front of you, begin to turn your steering wheel to the left.

Step 6: Checking Your Proximity

Continuing to inch backwards in reverse and while beginning to straighten your steering wheel, look into your rear view mirror to see how close your vehicle is to the car in the parallel parking spot behind you.

Step 7: Adjusting Your Position

Once you have your vehicle straight and as close to the curb as possible, you may need to shift into forward to position your car so that there is an equal amount of space in front and behind your vehicle. Leave a few feet of space in front of and behind your vehicle.

Step 8: Securing Your Vehicle

Place your car in the center of the parking spot and turn the wheels straight. Put your vehicle in park and check that it’s completely inside the lines. Put the car gear in park for automatic transmission. For manual transmission put the car either in first or reverse gear. Set the parking brake.

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Step 9: Exiting a Parallel Park

To exit a parallel park, first put your car into reverse and back towards the car behind you. Back as close as you reasonably can without putting yourself in danger of hitting the other vehicle. Next, turn your steering wheel to the left and shift your car into forward. Check for traffic in the lane you are about to enter. Making sure that you are not too close to the back bumper of the vehicle parked in front of you, slowly drive out of the parallel park.

Additional Tips for Successful Parking

Find a large enough parking spot: The parking slot should be at least 1.5x the size of your car for you to have enough room to safely maneuver into the slot. Find a place which is at least 5 feet longer than your car.
Practice with cones: If you're learning how to parallel park, practicing with cones can be a great start. Set up cones to represent the dimensions of a typical parking space and practice maneuvering between them. Place cones to mimic the dimensions of a standard parking space, about 20 feet in length, and practice maneuvering between them. Set up cones or clearly marked objects on a quiet street for practicing parallel parking. At first, set them up farther from each other so that you can practice the technique.
Dimensions and Distance: Understanding the typical dimensions of parallel parking spaces and maintaining a proper distance from other cars is crucial. Most spaces will be about 20 feet long.
Parallel Parking Tips for Driver's Test: If you're preparing for a driving test, practice parallel parking as it's often included in the test. Remember to use your mirrors and signal appropriately.
Practicing Parallel Parking: Look for quiet streets or empty parking lots to practice. This will help you get a feel for the size of your car and the space needed to park comfortably. Practice in a quiet street or an empty parking lot to start with, then gradually move to busier areas.
Teaching Parallel Parking: If you're instructing someone, start with the basics of positioning and steering. Gradually introduce them to busier environments.
Be attentive to the place where you leave your car.
Always double check that there are no pedestrians in the way before you park. Be extremely careful of passing pedestrians and/or other vehicles. Especially children can run across your intended path at any time.
As you leave your vehicle, it’s’ always good to be extra careful to not slam the car door(s) into the cars on the sides.
When you find a spot, put your signal on so other drivers know you're pulling in.
Also, before you park, double check for any pedestrians or shopping carts.
Once you're certain the space is clear, pull in and straighten out your wheel before shutting your car off.
If there’s a parking space in front of you, make sure your vehicle doesn’t extend into it.
Make sure that when you're pulling into the space that you're aiming toward the middle of the spot.
Turn off any accessories used.
Turn off ignition switch and remove key.
Check for traffic prior to exiting vehicle.

Common Parking Mistakes to Avoid

Rushing into a spot without checking your surroundings: This increases the risk of colliding with pedestrians, vehicles, or obstacles.
Poor alignment within the parking space: Misalignment can lead to difficulty when exiting and may cause damage to your car or others.
Forgetting to use your turn signals: Not signaling confuses other drivers and can lead to unexpected accidents.
Neglecting to set the parking brake.
Oversteering too early, causing the front of your car to clip the curb
Understeering, which leaves you sticking too far out into the lane
Forgetting to check mirrors and blind spots when maneuvering
Getting flustered when another driver is waiting. Focus on your technique, not their horn.

The Role of Technology in Parking

Many of the latest vehicle models have technology that parallel parks for you or, at the very least, alerts you to objects near your car. If you’re in the market for a new car, consider researching parking technology.

Automatic parallel parking: Car manufacturers know that millions of people have “parallelophobia,” or the fear of parallel parking. In response, they’ve developed automatic parallel parking, which can guide the car into a spot and alert you if there isn’t enough space.
Cross-traffic alert: This technology alerts you when you’re backing out of a parking spot and another car is behind you. It’s especially helpful when paired with a backup camera - and can save you from an unnecessary fender bender.
360-degree camera: Cameras are placed on every side of the car to provide a 360-degree picture of the space around your vehicle. The pictures are then combined to offer a top-down view of the car. This feature can help avoid accidents at slow speeds and small dings.
Exit warning to protect cyclists: Unfortunately, it’s common for parked drivers to open their doors and hit a cyclist.

According to one study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a rear automatic-braking system, along with backup cameras and parking alerts, can lower the risk of an accident by 75% or more. If you can, consider investing in these features.

What to Do in Case of a Parking Accident

If you get into a fender bender while parking, try not to panic. First, make sure you and your passengers aren’t injured. If they are, seek medical attention right away by calling the police. Look for the owner of the other vehicle. If you’re parked and can’t find the other party, leave your contact information, including name, phone number and insurance information on the car. Call the police to report the accident. For any accident, it’s important to file a report with the police. Contact your insurance company. An insurance professional can help you understand how your policy can help.

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