Parallel Parking Step by Step & Top Tips

• Resume backing up until your car is in line with the vehicles in front and behind you.
• Once aligned with the other vehicles, stop your car. Try to center your vehicle between the cars in front and behind you, leaving enough space for each to exit comfortably. Allow one to two feet or more, if possible.
• On flat roads, turn the steering wheel back to the center position, then put the car in park.

If you’re parked on a slope, turn your wheels into the curb to prevent the car from rolling into traffic if the brakes fail:

• Facing downhill, turn the steering wheel all the way to the right before putting the car in park.
• Facing uphill, turn the steering wheel all the way to the left before putting it in park.

Congratulations! You just learned how to parallel park!

Exiting a Parallel Parking Spot: A Simple Guide

Exiting a parallel parking space is usually easier than entering the space. The exception is when you’re in a smaller spot than when you parked your car. This usually happens when either the car in front or the one behind you leaves, and another driver parks closer than the previous car.

Remember to use a slow and safe speed when maneuvering within or exiting the spot. It's easy to miscalculate the space between parked cars, and you could wind up hitting one. Be prepared to handle parking lot accidents, just in case.

Step 1: Check Your Surroundings

• Look for oncoming traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians before pulling out.

Step 2: Give Yourself Some Space

• Slowly, back up straight, giving yourself room to exit.
• Stop when you’re close to the car behind you.

Step 3: Preparing to Exit

• Turn your steering wheel all the way to the left.
• Turn on your left turn signal, then put your car in drive.

Step 4: Pull Out

• If traffic is clear, begin moving forward. Make sure your front right bumper has room to clear the back bumper of the car ahead of you.
• Once your vehicle’s front end has cleared the car ahead and you’re halfway out of the spot, turn your wheel back to the center position. Proceed to drive away.

Now, you know how to parallel park step by step and how to safely exit the space. Let’s cover some tips for parallel parking to make the process smoother.

Tips for Parallel Parking Success

Learning to parallel park, or brushing up on your skills, takes time. Consider our tips for parallel parking success and put them into practice.

Practice Parallel Parking

No one is perfect the first time they try parallel parking — it takes practice, and there are several opportunities:

• Use an empty curb on a quiet street. Practice between two driveways where there is no pressure from traffic.
• Ask a friend to spot you. They can give feedback and help guide you as you practice your angles.
• Use apps or simulations. Some driving test prep apps include tutorials and simulations for parallel parking.
• Drive to your local DMV after hours. They often have marked practice zones for parallel parking that you can legally use after hours.

Be Calm and Take Your Time

There’s no doubt about it — parallel parking can be stressful. But that doesn’t mean you need to get upset. Staying calm is the best way to handle it and avoid an accident.

Always Look Before You Move

Of course, safe drivers know to always look before driving. Usually, you just have to look ahead. When parallel parking, you must watch the car ahead of you, the one behind you, and the curbside space you want to park in. While the parked cars are stationary, you’ll be maneuvering close to them, often within just inches. Stay alert for children, pets, and toys that might suddenly enter your path as you back in.

Set Yourself Up for Success

When you’re looking for a parallel parking spot, try to find one that is at least one and a half times the length of your car. This helps give you plenty of room to maneuver your vehicle into and out of the spot.

Once you’ve found a spot, tap your brakes a couple of times and put on your turn signal. Giving several forms of signals to other drivers around you helps alert them to your intentions. Some drivers may think you’re turning at the next road if you only use your turn signal.

Stay Calm

While parallel parking, always keep your foot on the brake or hovering near it as you maneuver into or out of the space. There’s rarely a need to use the gas pedal when learning to parallel park. Allow your car to idle into the spot instead.

If you get into an uncomfortable angle when parking, pull out and start again. It’s far easier to start over than to try to fix your parking angle halfway through. It becomes easier to get the angle right the more you practice parallel parking.

Leave Plenty of Space

When parallel parking, center your car between the vehicles in front and behind you so they can exit safely without hitting your car. Remember that the vehicles currently around you may leave, and new cars may take their spaces. Unfortunately, you can’t control how closely other drivers will park, but giving others enough space is both courteous and practical. With any luck, others will do the same.

Common Mistakes in Parallel Parking

Avoid these common mistakes when parallel parking:

• Not signaling before starting to park confuses drivers behind you, increasing risks.
• Cutting the wheel too early throws off your angle and can lead to hitting the curb or another car.
• Not checking blind spots can result in collisions with pedestrians, bikers, or other vehicles.
• Parking too far from the curb leaves you vulnerable to sideswipes or tickets.
• Not positioning the wheels at the end can lead to the car rolling if the brakes fail.

Parallel Parking Made Simple

Like any aspect of safe driving, parallel parking takes practice, patience, and awareness — but it gets easier every time. Now that you’ve learned how to parallel park with confidence, why not reinforce your peace of mind by verifying that your car insurance coverage has you fully protected? Our friendly Wawanesa agents are standing by to speak with you.