Parallel Parking Tips

Parallel parking is something that many find almost impossible to do.  It is one of the driving tasks that easily intimidates people.  This one thing alone can cause a fail result on your driving test.  Here are some parallel parking tips to help make this just a little bit easier.

Look For A Spot

Picking a spot is the first thing you need to do.  Look for a space that you know your car can fit in to comfortably.  If you are unsure then continue to look for a spot that you do feel comfortable with, even if you need to drive around the block.

Use Your Turn Signal

One of the intimidating things to many people is that they feel pressured by cars waiting for them.  Give them notice of your intentions to parallel park by turning on your turn signal.

Check Your Rear Mirror

Your mirrors are your friends when trying to parallel park.  First, check your rear view mirror to ensure that there is not a car so close to that it is unsafe to reverse.

Line Up Your Car

To put your car in a good position to parallel park, pull up to the car in front of the space that you are going to park in.  Make sure that you are not too close to the side of this car, a good rule is between 2 and 3 feet of space.

Use All of Your Mirrors

Use all three of your mirrors to make sure that it is safe to park.  Other cars, pedestrians, bikers and animals are all things that can easily get in your way during this

Time To Reverse

Next, put your car in reverse and slowly turn once you see the bumper of the car in front.  Slowly keep reversing until your going backwards at a 45 degree angle.  Once you reach a 45 degree angle turn your wheel in the opposite direction and this will straighten out your car.

Keep Going

Keep going as your car straightens out until your in the parking spot.  You may at this point need to stop reversing and drive forward to finish your parking.

Success

Congratulations, you can now take a breath as you have successfully parallel parked.