Parallel parking is a mandatory skill to get a driving license in many foreign countries. However, in India, most people learn driving after getting the license due to relaxed rules. Parallel parking is a necessary skill that every car driver should know as it helps in parking the vehicle properly and keeping the vehicle safe. Most people who try to do parallel parking initially are embarrassed due to a lack of skill and knowledge and it is something every modern car parking requires you to do. Here are five pro tips that will make your next parallel car parking look easy!
Find the spot
Finding the right spot with enough space between the two already parked vehicles is the first step. Always check for space which is roomy enough for your vehicle. Keep the indicator on, so that the vehicles behind you know that you’re looking for a spot to park. Ideally, the parking space should be 4 feet longer than your car’s length. You can always improvise and fit your vehicle in tighter spaces with experience and practice.
Stopping the vehicle at the right point
Once you have identified the spot to park your vehicle, you should bring your vehicle to halt strategically. The rear wheel of your vehicle should approximately align with the bumper of the vehicle parked in front of the parking space. If judging the wheels and bumper alignment seems to be a problem, you can always look out and align the last pillar of your vehicle to the rear corner of the parked vehicle. This is the best position to halt if you want to guide your vehicle into the parking slot without much problem.
Start the manoeuvre
Once you’re in position, start reversing your vehicle slowly. If the parking space is to your right then the steering should be rotated towards the right completely. If the parking space is towards the left, then you should lock the steering to the left. Now with the help of the ORVMs ensure that you’re not too close to the parked vehicle. Once you see the vehicle parked in the rear of the parking spot in your left-hand side ORVM, it is time to stop.
Align your vehicle
Now you will have to align the vehicle with the already parked vehicles. To do this, you can straighten the steering and continue to reverse while looking at the right side ORVM. Once the front corner is aligned with the rear opposite corner of the vehicle parked in front, you should lock the steering to its left or right completely depending on which side it is. It is always the opposite side of the steering movement you did in the first step. Once you start reversing with the front wheels fully turned, the vehicle will be parallel to the kerb.
Finishing touches
Once your vehicle is parallel to the kerb, you should leave enough space at the front and the rear to allow smooth exit of the vehicles. A distance of 2 feet is sufficient to allow most vehicles to get out of the parallel parking space. The empty space also ensures that the car in the front or rear does not hit you when they exit the parking spot.
Also Read: How to parallel park like a BOSS, in just 5 EASY steps [Video]