How To Parallel Park
Learning how to parallel park on driving test is a stressful task for new drivers to learn. When teaching new drivers parallel parking they believe it will be more difficult to learn over three-point-turning. While many drivers I talk to each have a horror story when parallel parking. Usually, those stories involve being around a large number of cars or pedestrians. Attempting to park among these obstacles can be tough to overcome.
Let’s Learn How to Parallel Park
While teaching how to parallel park, I use this diagram so students can picture from above where the car needs to be. At Legacy Driving Academy, we have a couple other little tips to add to this diagram to help drivers out. Finding a parallel parking spot can be tough, once you find a spot you can start the steps to park in the spot.
Step One
Approach the spot from behind and proceed passed it and stop. When you stop, make sure you are approximately two feet from the car you plan to park behind. Also, you want to align rear bumpers with the car you park behind. (Each car is a different length and aligning mirrors or doors is not best practice). Included in Step One, you want to put the car into reverse turn on your right turn signal and turn your wheel to the right.
Step Two
Back the car into a 45 degree angle in relation to the middle of the car’s bumper behind you. Take note, when practicing in a controlled environment or when parallel parking for a test there will not be cars in the front or back of the spot. This is not the ideal description for those situations. At Legacy Driving Academy, we teach the student to back up until they see where the white line meeting the curb. We have a cone on the corner as well to help identify the corner. At this point they use the car to create an imaginary line from the mirror to the corner.
Step Three
The student will straighten the wheel and back up straight to insert the car into the spot. The turn signal turns off.
Step Four
As the student backs the car into the spot, they will stop when their car’s bumper clears the car’s bumper in front. Also, not an ideal situation for when in a test or a controlled environment. So when in those environments, utilize the cones on the front left of the spot. Once the cone is visible in the bottom right corner of your windshield, move to the next step.
Step Five
While stopped, the student turns the wheel to the left. Then to get the car to pull fully into the spot they slowly back up. The car rolls backward and hinges into the spot on it’s left rear tire.
Step Six
Once the student has completed parallel parking. Another important note when leaving your parallel parking spot you want to turn on your left turn signal. This allows for another car that is attempting to park know that you are leaving. They can stop and block traffic to allow you to pull out so they can take the spot.
Learning How to Parallel Park is Easy With Legacy Driving Academy in Phoenix, AZ
When teaching how to parallel park on driving test, we explain to the students during the step by step process to take their time. Often the phrase, “speed kills” is used as figurative language to teach them to go slow. In a real life parking situation, the student wants to keep fluid movements so as not to take too long parking.
Upon completing parallel parking with Legacy Driving Academy, approximately seventy percent of the students say that parallel parking is easier than the three-point-turning. If your ready to take your driving test, contact us today!
