Parallel parking in 5 steps
The maneuver everyone dreads is really five small, repeatable moves. Here’s the method we teach on every road test route.
Skills
5 min read
Carmen Ruiz
Parallel parking feels hard because it happens backward and in front of an audience. Break it into five steps, practice them in the same order every time, and it stops being a guessing game.
1. Pick a space and signal
Look for a space about one and a half times the length of your car. Turn on your signal early so the driver behind you knows you’re stopping.
2. Line up with the car in front
Pull up next to the parked car in front of the space, about two to three feet away, with your rear bumpers lined up.
3. Back up and turn toward the curb
Check your mirrors and over your shoulder. Back up slowly until your rear wheels line up with that car’s back bumper, then turn the steering wheel all the way toward the curb.
4. Straighten at 45 degrees
When your car sits at about a 45-degree angle, straighten the wheel and keep backing slowly until your front bumper clears the other car.
5. Turn away and settle in
Turn the wheel all the way away from the curb and keep reversing until you’re parallel. Pull forward a little to center yourself in the space.
Go slower than you think you need to
It’s fine to pull out and try again
On the road test, touching the curb is better than hitting a cone
Want to practice this with an instructor? Most skills click in one focused lesson.
