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Watching people fail at parallel parking is part of the quintessential roadside cafe experience, especially if it’s in a city. They come, they try, they fail, and somebody else comes along and benefits from the open spot. It’s a passive reminder that most people don’t know their cars as well as they think and we hope.
It’s enough of a problem for people—or they just don’t want to learn—that automakers have even automated parallel parking in many new cars. Yes, you could have your friend or family member do it for you. No, you likely won’t ever be literally required to know how to parallel park like many people were for their driving tests as teenagers. But hear me out: It’s important to know how.
It doesn’t matter where the car needs to go or how it gets there, you should know how to maneuver your car into a space where it can physically fit. Mastering simple tasks like parallel parking will give you a better awareness of how cars interact with their surroundings. You’ll be able to navigate parking lots and parking garages easier, sneak through traffic quicker and generally know where our cars will or won’t fit.
The more you know about your car, the more you understand its physical attributes, the better driver you will be. And the better drivers we are, the safer the roads will be. It’s a win-win. So, let’s dive in.
How To Parallel Park, Step by Step
If a parking spot passes the eye test and you think you’ll fit, follow these steps to safely and quickly slide into the space. For the purposes of these instructions, we’ll be talking about a space to the right of the car. The car ahead of the spot will be Car 1, and the car behind it will be Car 2. And note: this is all based on a two-way street where you’ll be parking on the right side. Left-side parallel parking (like on a one-way street) is the same concept, just flipped.
Step 1: Check that your car will fit
Pull alongside the spot to gauge whether there’s enough room. Note: you probably need less room than you’d think.
Step 2: Line up with the vehicle ahead
Put on your right turn signal and pull up beside Car 1. Stay about 2 or 3 feet away and line up your rear bumper or side mirror with Car 1’s bumper or side mirror. Look forward, back, side to side, and all around you before proceeding.
Step 3: Start reversing
Put your car in reverse and back up straight until your car’s C-pillar—that’s the pillar behind the backseat passenger windows—is just behind Car 1’s bumper.
Step 4: Angle the car 45 degrees into the space
Turn the wheel towards the curb and continue reversing into the space until the car reaches a 45-degree angle. Go slowly here, and keep an eye on the curb in your passenger side mirror so you don’t hit it.
Step 5: Turn the wheel towards the street and continue reversing
Once your rear wheels are close to the curb, turn the wheel almost all the way towards the street and continue reversing slowly. This is the hardest part; turn the wheel too soon and your car’s front right corner could hit the rear bumper of Car 1 as your front end tucks into the space. Turn too late and you could scrape your rear wheel on the curb or run out of room with Car 2 behind you. In your side mirror—or a fancy 360-degree camera if your car has one of those—you’ll see the curb
Step 6: Straighten the wheel
By now, your car should be roughly in the spot, parallel to the curb with enough space in front and behind you to adjust your position. The goal is to have the car about six inches away from the curb—if it’s off by over a foot and there’s not much space in front or behind, you may need to pull out and try again from the beginning. If all looks good, straighten the wheel.
Step 7: Pull forward slowly
You’ll likely be closer to Car 2 than Car 1 at this point, so pull forward to center your car in the space.
Step 8: Final Adjustments
If there’s enough room (at least a few feet) in front and behind, you can make small adjustments to get closer to the curb once you’re in the spot. Start by pulling forward as close as you can get to Car 1 without touching. Then turn the wheel all the way to full lock towards the curb. Back up a couple feet, then turn the wheel all the way towards the street and back up a bit more. You might need to do this a few times.
How To Protect Your Vehicle From Bad Parallel Parkers
If you street park your car regularly, it’s 100% guaranteed that someone will bump into it eventually while trying to parallel park. If you’re lucky there’ll be no damage, if you’re sorta lucky there might be a paint scuff, and if you’re really unlucky they could rip off your whole bumper. Thankfully there are some tips to follow to minimize that chance.
Park at the Ends of Streets or Near a Hydrant
The easiest way to protect your car from parallel parking is to avoid it completely, but if that’s not possible, you can at least delete one car from the situation. By parking at the end of a street or near a fire hydrant, you reduce the danger caused by other automobiles because you can only be hit on one end of the car.
Use Bumper Protectors
You’ll ruin any attractive features of your automobile by using bumper protectors, and they’re not guaranteed to protect your vehicle from all scratches and dents, but a bumper hitting rubber is still better than a bumper hitting a bumper. You can buy the full mat, rubber strips, or extended license-plate frames.
Put Velvet Ropes Around Your Car Like Marshawn Lynch
Cones work, too. This was a hilarious moment in history, but please, don’t do this. Everybody will hate you, you might get a ticket, or somebody might damage your vehicle.
Video
If you’re still having trouble visualizing all this, check out this great instructional video from Driver’s Ed Zone on YouTube:
