How To Parallel Park - For Beginners

Learning to parallel park can be an intimidating process for new drivers. Heck, it's even scary to some experienced drivers! But this is an art worth mastering - not only is it a big part of your driving test, but you are going to run into at least few situations in your lifetime where your parallel parking skills will come in handy. And just imagine how suave you'll look as you easily back your car into a tiny parking space! So whether you've tried before or you're just starting out, keep reading and you'll be conquering those tight squeezes in no time.

In case you weren't too sure, parallel parking is a method of parking where you park in line with the curb, in a straight line with other cars in front of and behind you. This is most commonly used in large cities where there are too many cars and not enough parking lots. It's also a part of the drivers test in most states, so it's a must-know. Some states, like Ohio, employ a maneuverability test - which is essentially parallel parking with traffic cones instead of other cars - so the same rules apply.

If you feel intimidated, don't be! Start simple, and work your way up as you become more comfortable and confident in your abilities. Each person learns on their own timeline, so don't tell yourself that you haven't "got it" or that your hand-eye coordination stinks - you CAN do it. Keep practicing and the procedure eventually will become second nature. It does take time, but gets a little easier with every session. Before you know it, you'll be maneuvering like a pro!

So here is the basic procedure for parallel parking:

1. Find a space that's a few feet longer than your car that you feel confident about parking inside.

2. Signal and drive up so that you are a 2-3 feet next to the car you want to park behind, and align your car's rear bumper with the other one's.

3. Look into your side and rear-view mirrors, then check over your shoulder to make sure there are no cars approaching you from behind. Once it's clear, hit the brake and put your car in reverse.

4. Gently remove your foot from the brake. When your car starts to roll backwards, turn the steering wheel all the way in the direction of the curb. The car should now be reversing towards the curb at an angle. (If you think the angle's not working, you can always shift into drive and begin again.)

5. When your car's rear is inside the space, spin the steering wheel all the way in the other direction to straighten your wheels.

6. You're pretty much centered once you're no more than 12 inches from the curb and parallel to it. If you need to, drive forward slightly to adjust your wheels. Now you're parked!

Just remember that these aren't hard and fast rules - for instance, parking behind only one car will be much simpler since you don't have to worry about bumping the second car. Stuff like how sharply you have to turn your steering wheel will vary based on the type of vehicle you're driving, since each car maneuvers a little differently.

Whatever you do, don't start off by trying to parallel park on a busy road - it's very anxiety-provoking! So here's an induction plan you can use to build up your confidence, move up only when you feel more than ready:

- Find a quiet road or parking lot, and just practice parking beside an empty curb.

- Park behind ONE parked car.

- Parallel park in between two vehicles that are situated far enough away from each other where you feel comfortable. (Make sure it's not a busy road)

- Seek out cars with less and less space between them for your parking practice. Once you can successfully park in a spot that's around 1.5x your car's length, you've done it!

Parallel parking has a reputation for difficulty, but it's really not as hard as you may think. Just keep on practicing and you'll be doing it perfectly in no time. Now there's no excuse! Go forth and master the art of the parallel park.

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Michelle is a parallel park-scaredy cat turned confident parker. Try out the drivers ed game to practice your parallel parking, and read more articles, tips & advice for succeeding at your driving test at www.driversed-game.com.

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