Parallel Parking Steps (That Work)

Summary

In this video, Instructor Jay from Driver's Ed Direct teaches a simple and effective technique for parallel parking, aimed at reducing stress and boosting confidence. The 'Right, Straight, Left' method is explained step-by-step, starting from assessing the parking situation, ensuring it's safe and legal, to aligning your car, and executing the maneuver. Jay emphasizes the importance of using mirrors, blind spots, and visual reference points for accuracy. The video concludes with tips for adjusting your position if needed and exiting the parking space safely. With clear instructions, viewers can master parallel parking with ease and confidence.

Takeaways

• 😀 Assess the situation: Ensure it's safe to parallel park by checking traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists around you.
• 😀 Choose a parking space that is at least 1.5 times the length of your vehicle, ensuring it's a legal space (no fire hydrants or no parking signs).
• 😀 Always check traffic behind you before starting the maneuver to avoid stopping in the middle of fast-moving traffic.
• 😀 Use your mirrors and blind spots consistently throughout the process to stay aware of your surroundings.
• 😀 Align your car properly by positioning it about 3 feet from the parked car and line up your rear door with the other vehicle's bumper.
• 😀 Shift into reverse with your foot on the brake, ensuring you've checked your mirrors and blind spots again.
• 😀 Turn your steering wheel all the way to the right, reversing slowly until your car reaches a 45-degree angle with the curb.
• 😀 To straighten out, turn your wheel back to center and continue reversing until your right front bumper clears the other car's rear bumper.
• 😀 Once you've cleared the other car's bumper, turn your steering wheel all the way to the left, carefully reversing until you're parallel with the curb.
• 😀 Make sure to adjust your position by pulling forward or backward as necessary to be evenly centered between the parked cars.
• 😀 Always double-check for pedestrians and cyclists before exiting the parking space and use your mirrors, signaling, and shoulder checks.

Q & A

What is the first thing you should do before attempting to parallel park?

You should assess the situation and ensure it's safe to park. This involves checking the traffic around you, particularly behind you, to avoid blocking fast-moving traffic.

How can you determine if a parking space is large enough for your vehicle?

The recommended space size is at least one and a half times the length of your vehicle. While a bigger space is better, real-world spaces may often be tighter, so ensure that your car can fit.

What should you do if you find the parking space is not safe to park in?

If the space is not safe, such as having no parking signs, fire hydrants, or painted red curbs, you should move along and find a safer spot to park.

How far should your car be from the parked car when preparing to parallel park?

You should be about three feet away from the parked car, which is close enough that you could almost reach out and shake hands with someone in the other car.

What visual reference can you use to ensure proper alignment with the parked car?

You can align your rear passenger door with the bumper of the other car, or if your car has a small triangular rear window, you can use that for alignment.

What is the purpose of turning the steering wheel all the way to the right during parallel parking?

Turning the steering wheel all the way to the right helps angle the car backward at a 45-degree angle to the curb, which is the first step in the parallel parking process.

What should you do when your car is at a 45-degree angle to the curb?

You should straighten out the steering wheel to the center position and then continue backing up slowly to clear the other car's bumper.

How do you know when you’ve cleared the other car's bumper?

You can use visual references such as when the other car’s left mirror aligns with your right mirror or when the other car's license plate is centered in your passenger side front window.

What should you do when your car is fully parallel with the curb?

Once your car is parallel with the curb, you should straighten out the steering wheel and adjust your position by reversing or pulling forward as needed to ensure you are evenly positioned between the two parked cars.

What should you do if you don’t park perfectly parallel on your first attempt?

If your first attempt isn't perfect, you can pull out and try again, or make fine adjustments by moving forward or backward and adjusting the steering to fine-tune your position.