How to Parallel Park

You learned how to parallel park to pass your driving test, so what happened? Along with the three-point turn, parallel parking is one of the first things most drivers forget about once they've got a driver's license. Then you find yourself downtown, coveting a space and realizing you've got to parallel your way into it. It's really not that hard to parallel park. All it takes is some practice.

Mastering the Basics
There's only one rule to remember when you're learning to parallel park: Never try to do it while you're going forward. You might think its easier because you can see where you're going, but you'll never get your car within a foot of the curb.

It's best to find an open space to practice the basics. Head over to an office park or a school parking lot on a Saturday or Sunday, when it's empty. Look for a nice, long section of curb that's straight. 

You first need to get a sense of the size of your car. Get out of your car and walk around it. Get to know the width and length. Pay careful attention to how much your bumpers stick out from the front and back. Next, sit in the driver's seat and form a mental picture of your car. Check your rearview and guess how much distance there is to the edge of your bumper.

Once you've got a sense of your car's size, it's time to practice the basics. First, pull up alongside a straight section of curb. Get as close as you can. Do this slowly, so you won't wreck your tires or rims if you actually hit it. Practice this until you can reliably pull within six inches of the curb.

When you're comfortable pulling up to the curb in forward, start practicing in reverse. Start with your car about a car's width from the curb, then back into place alongside the curb. Remember that the car goes in the opposite direction of the wheel when you're in reverse. If that throws you, take advantage of that wide-open parking lot to practice backing up and turning. Get in the habit of using your rearview and sideview mirrors to see where you're going. It's actually harder to parallel park if you turn your head around to look out the back window.

Doing It for Real
If you can back up to a curb, you can parallel park. For your first practice sessions, try to find a spot with two open spaces behind a car. It's much easier to parallel when there's room behind you.

Pull up alongside a car with an open space behind it. Around three quarters of your car's length should be next to the parked car, with the other quarter behind the back bumper of the parked car.

Put your car in reverse and turn your steering wheel in the direction opposite where you want to go. When there's about a quarter of the front of your car next to the parked car, start to straighten your car out. Your front bumper should slide in behind the parked car, leaving you next to the curb. To straighten out your wheels, pull forward a bit, making sure not to hit the parked car, then back up slightly. Your car should be parked.

Parallel Parking Tips

• There's no substitute for practice. Try parallel parking every chance you get. The more experience you have, the easier it is.
• Park slowly. As you get near other cars, keep your foot on the brake so that you're crawling an inch at a time. You don't want to wreck your bumper or someone else's while you're parking. "Parking by ear," where you bang your car off the bumpers in front of and behind you, won't make you any friends.
• Pull back out if you hit the curb. Once you hit the curb, it's almost impossible to parallel park without wrecking your tires. If you've got the room, you can pull forward, then cut the wheel in the opposite direction, backing up only part of the distance, then pull forward again to try to straighten the car out.
• The tighter the space, the further forward your car should be. If you're dealing with a really tight space, pull up even with the car in front, with only an inch or two of space between the side of your car and the side of the parked car. Turn your wheel all the way to one side, then start to straighten out once your car is halfway into the space.
• Watch for traffic. Your car will pull partially into traffic lanes while you're parallel parking. Make sure nobody is coming on your side of the street before you start to parallel park.