Tricks of parallel parking

For the benefit of non-drivers and future drivers, let us first know what is parallel parking. Take a look first at the picture in this module. Notice the space in between two cars? Wikipedia defines parallel parking this way: "Parallel parking is a method of parking a vehicle in line with other parked cars. Cars parked in parallel are in one line, parallel to the curb, with the front bumper of each car facing the back bumper of the adjacent one. Parallel parking requires driving the car in reverse gear into the parking space. Roads that facilitate said parking have an extra lane or a large shoulder for parked cars. It is also employed anytime parking facilities are not available - usually in large metropolitan areas where there is a high density of vehicles and few (or restricted) accommodations such as parking garages." For those interested in reading the full Wikipedia article, click Parallel Parking here.

Here is a useful parallel parking trick I found in OneMotoring: "Confirm that you're not trying to park a Jaguar in a spot meant for the Mini Cooper. Even the most experienced drivers will find this a mean feat. It's as good as getting a chicken to lay an ostrich egg."

Again, I found OneMotoring very clear on this: "Unless there are at least 2 empty joint lots, it is easier to reverse into a parallel parking lot rather than going in head on.

Look out for the rear corner of the car in the side window. Slowly turn the wheel to the right when the front of your car passes its rear.

Turn the steering wheel all the way to the right and start reversing, stopping at a 45 degree angle. There're no poles for you now, but you can try to look at the side of the rear windscreen as a focal point.

Stop when this focal point is in line with the car behind. You can start turning the steering wheel as much to the left as possible, until the car pulls in along the curb.

If you're 10-12 cm from the curb on the first attempt, I'll be impressed by your good luck and amazing skill. But for the many others, do try and practise again until you get it right. Do it 5 times, 10 times or 20 times, just as long as you get it right. Next time it will be your turn to give those new drivers the satisfied 'I-can-parallel-park' look."

I found this information from Alert Driving Schools most useful:
STEP ONE

Approach the space, pull halfway into it, and then out, so that you are facing the space with the rear end of your car as shown.

STEP TWO

Turn your wheel to the RIGHT, so that the wheels are in the direction indicated. Start backing in the direction of the arrow.

STEP THREE

Straighten the wheel when your mirror is roughly inline with the other car's bumper.

STEP FOUR

Making sure the nose of your car will clear the car in front of you, begin turning the wheel to the LEFT. Follow the arrow. You should be perfectly in your spot!

In a nut shell, the 4 steps are, approach, backing with the wheel to the right, backing with the wheel straight, backing with the wheel to the left. You won't have to do too much with the wheel to the right if you do your approach right.

I find these tips in the Alert Driving Schools website very useful:

Strong Suggestion -

LOTS AND LOTS OF PRACTICE. Get to know exactly how big your car is.

Important Tips -

If you're hitting the curb, you're not straightening the wheel or going left fast enough.

If you're too far away, you're not backing straight back (step 3) far enough.

P/S If you prefer words to video, here is another useful article:
Stressless parallel parking

Drive A Free Car Or Get Paid $500 Per Month To Drive Your Car With An Advertisement On It. For more information, click here.

Parallel parking is one of the hardest skills to learn for the new driver - and even older driver. So if words are not enough, some video demonstrations will help. I've picked some of the more useful ones from YouTubs on parallel parking to help you.

Do you want to know RIGHT NOW how YOU can drive around using WATER AS FUEL and LAUGH at RISING GAS COSTS, while at the same time REDUCE emissions and help PREVENT GLOBAL WARMING? To know more about how to convert your car/truck to burn water as well as
gasoline and double your gas mileage, click here.

Discover What It Actually Takes to PASS the Driving Test!
No huff. No puff. Grab it. Follow it. PASS your Driving Test

ONE COMMON PROBLEM shared by all the Driving Videos, Books And CD's out there IS they all focus on "how to be a safe driver" RATHER than what it actually takes to pass the driving test. Now of course it's important to be a Safe Driver... but what's even MORE IMPORTANT, is that

...YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO PASS YOUR DRIVING TEST!

Here is the instant link for more info on Driving Test Secrets.