Parallel

Parallel Parking - The Right Distances

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• published: 24 Feb 2016
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Watch my video “How To: Easy Parallel Parking” by clicking the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HNBUQ6oE6A And “Parallel Parking: Aligning Yourself Properly” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpo6fcaWfC4 Aligning at the right distance from the other car when parallel parking is usually the step students have the most difficulty with. And most of the time, it's because they approach the car on the right way too fast, so they're either too far, or even worst, too close, which can result in instant failure if you're doing it at the exam. You also shouldn’t be aligning yourself parallel to the other car when you’re already next to it, you should start doing it when you’re more or less at the distance of at least half a car behind it, and then make small adjustments if needed. You should then be moving at walking speed when aligning the mirrors. As for the distance between the cars, you should have more or less three feet. Now that is also hard to determine for beginners. So a good trick here is to imagine someone standing between the two cars, and align yourself at that distance. The method I recommend in my video on parallel parking, is to align our mirror with the other car’s mirror, turn the steering wheel one turn to the right, back up until the other car’s plate is in the middle of the window, then turn the wheel completely to the left and back up until the car is straight. There’s a particular reason why I recommend turning the wheel only one turn instead of completely on that second step. Some methods recommend that you turn the wheel completely to the right, and then back up until your mirror is aligned with the left light of the other car, then turn the wheel completely to the left before backing up. The reason why I prefer the method of turning the wheel just one turn on that second step is because: if you turn the wheel completely, even if you aligned yourself correctly to start with, when you’ll back up to straighten the car, you might get too close to the car on the right. If you turn the wheel just one turn, and providing you aligned yourself correctly to start with, you'll keep the same distance between you and the other car all the way through. So let's say you had three feet between the cars when you aligned yourself, you'll still have those three feet all the way through when backing up to straighten the car. This is especially important if you're doing it at the driving exam, because you can fail if you get too close to the other car. How much room you’ll have between the cars, or the cones if that’s what you’ll be using, will depend on where you’re passing your test. Most of the time, there’ll be enough room to park easily. Sometimes there won't even be a car in the back. Obviously, parking a bigger car will also be harder to do. So If possible, do your exam with a compact car, or even smaller. Another thing that will will also vary depending on where you're doing your exam is maximum distance allowed from the curb. But generally, try not to exceed 12 inches. Remember, the most important thing at the exam when you're parking is safety. Indicating your intentions, doing your verifications before backing up, and, not getting too close to anything. So make sure you don't get too close to the cars, either the one in front when backing up to straighten the car, or the one in the back when positioning the car. Now, there are situations where you'll have to turn the wheel completely, like when you're parking in a very tight spot. I'll cover that in a future video. But if you have enough room to do it with this method, it’s easier and safer. Note: Laws, rules and requirements may be different where you are doing your exam. Always follow laws/rules/requirements that apply to where you are driving if they differ from the ones shown here.