For many drivers, especially new drivers, parking can cause quite a lot of stress. There are three basic types of parking spaces and all of them require a special parking technique. These are parallel, angular and perpendicular. For some people who have good spatial skills, parking is not a problem; however, people who don’t have good spatial skills find mastering the skills of parking a car quite difficult.
In order to be a good driver, everybody should also master parking besides driving, as it is an essential component of the whole driving experience. There are some basic guidelines you should follow in order to become a professional driver. You should focus on each type of parking space separately and learn how to park safely. Take a look at how to park in a parallel, angled as well as perpendicular spot without any problems. It’s important to note that for mastering parking, practice is the key. Look at some easy steps to park a car.
How to park in a parallel spot
- Find the spot
You should find the perfect spot for this kind of maneuver, especially if you’re a beginner. What does it mean ‘a perfect spot’? An ideal spot would be the one that’s not too crowded and which allows you some time to prepare yourself and park in the right way, without damaging your own or the surrounding cars.
- Move slowly
The next thing you should keep in mind is that you should adjust your speed: you should move slowly and carefully, in order to be able to perceive your position in space better. An ideal distance between you and the other vehicles should be around 2 feet.
- Use side mirrors
When it comes to parallel parking, what helps us the most are the side mirrors, so make sure that you use them. Some newer versions of cars come with some useful rear vision systems which make this kind of parking a piece of cake. So, consider either upgrading your current car with these or getting a new car.
- Rotate the steering wheel and drive-in
When you approach the parking space, you should rotate the steering wheel in the right way and simply drive-in. There’s often a need for slight backward or forward movement.
In an angled spot
- Get into the right position
Getting into the right position means that your car is 5 or 6 feet away from the other cars. This distance helps you navigate your car with the wheel more freely and easily. Again, it would be good to start with parking in some less crowded places, if you don’t have much experience. In that way, it’s less stressful for you.
- Steer the wheel
You need to start turning the wheel the moment you’re in the middle of the parking spot. While doing it, you should also maintain the aforementioned distance by having in mind all the sides of your car. Proceed into the area and stop when you come to the line. Your vehicle should be parked in alignment with the lines, so all the other potential cars could be parked properly.
- Align your wheels
An important final step, which you shouldn’t forget is aligning your wheels so that they are straight – this will help you back out of the spot.
In a perpendicular spot
- Position yourself
As with every other parking, the distance from the other cars is key. It can be either left or right from you. For this type of parking, you should ensure that your vehicle is at least 8 feet away from the vehicles on either side.
- Give a signal and steer your wheel
To alert the other drivers about your next move, you should make sure that your signal is on, before steering the wheel. Mind the other cars as well as pedestrians and cyclists.
- Align your wheels
Finally, you should straighten out your wheels in order to be able to back out easily.
With sufficient practice in traffic, any new driver can become better. So, whenever you have the chance to try parking your car in different types of spaces, use it.
