Parallel parking

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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.

Parallel parking is considered to be one of the hardest skills for new drivers to learn. Parallel parking allows a vehicle to park in a smaller space that would be true of forward parking. Driving forward into a parking space on the side of a road is typically not possible unless two successive parking spaces are empty. Reversing into the spot via the parallel parking technique allows one to take advantage of a single empty space not much longer than the car.

Beginning drivers learn to use reference points to align themselves in relation to the car in front of the space, to determine the proper angle for backing, and to determine when to turn the steering wheel while backing. They may find it easier to briefly stop at each reference point and turn for the next step.

Two major types of parallel parking technique differ in whether they will use two or three positions of the steering wheel while backing. A skilled driver may be able to parallel park successfully by backing with the steering wheel turned all the way to the right and then immediately cranking the wheel all the way to the left at a critical point. For beginning drivers, those with larger cars or bad sight lines, this may risk collision with either the car in front of or the one in back of the space, or both. Such drivers may find it easier to include an intermediate step, where after having achieved the ideal angle for backing up they back up with the wheels straight until the rear end of the car is far enough back to allow them to make their final reverse turn. While steering wheel positions in between full-right, straight, and full-left are possible to use, beginners may be able to gauge their progress more effectively by turning the wheel all the way to the right or left.

In the early 21st century, car manufacturers are addressing this need by introducing automatic parking.

Contents 1 Procedure for entering a parking space 1.1 Basic procedure 1.2 What to do when problems occur 2 Advanced Parking Guidance System 3 External links

[edit] Procedure for entering a parking space

Parking on the right side of the road.

[edit] Basic procedure

1. Use the right turn signal to indicate that you are entering the space. Depending on your country's road ethics, you may also use the hazard-warning lights to indicate an imminent stop or series of maneuvers that will obstruct the traffic.
2. Ensure that your desired parking space is at least 2 meters (~~6 feet) longer than your vehicle. (Although some highly skilled drivers are capable of parking in spaces that are within 0.3 m (one foot) of their vehicle length, it is unlikely that a car can be parked within 0.3 m (one foot) of the vehicle length unless the car's front and back are shaped in an arc that matches the pivoting arc around the back wheel. A skilled driver can also park in space that the car barely fits, by going back and forth once the car's rear end is in place.)
3. Place your vehicle beside the vehicle in front of the parking space. Some teachers suggest lining up the driver's seats prior to proceeding, but if the cars are much different in length it may be best to estimate whether the rear bumpers are aligned.
4. The horizontal space between the cars should be no less than a 0.5 meters (~~1.5 feet) and no more than half the car's width. If one begins from a larger horizontal distance, however, one may be able to adjust by lengthening the period of time that one backs straight up prior to the final turn.
5. Put your car into reverse and turn the steering wheel as far as it can go the curb while beginning to inch backwards.
6. Back up the vehicle so that your rear bumper is first to enter the parking space. The greater the lateral distance between the two vehicles, the steeper the turn must be. If you manage to pull your car as near as 5 inches from the already parked one, you should aim your rear bumper at an area roughly 1/3rd of the distance from the front of the rear car to the back of the front car. The actual distance from the rear car will vary, depending on the minimum turn radius of your car. The more maneuverable, the less distance you need.
7. Once the rear end of the vehicle is aimed in the correct direction, slow down and straighten the steering wheel. The optimal angle of approach to the parking spot will vary between 30 and 45 degrees, depending on how long your car is, how far it is between your back bumper and back tire, and how far you start from the curb when it is parallel to the curb. Without reference points, it is very difficult to estimate an angle within 5 degrees while backing.
8. Continue backing up straight until the rear of the vehicle is near the curb. Again, some drivers learn to omit this step after having gained enough expertise, switching from the hard-right to hard-left portions of parallel parking seamlessly. As you back your car, be aware of the part of the trunk that is behind the rear tire. This part of your car will be over the curb before the rear tire touches it. Caution must be taken when parking - for instance - near a lamppost in order to avoid hitting it with your rear bumper.
9. After getting the back tire close enough with the angle and straight, quickly but smoothly turn your steering wheel towards the road to bring your front end into the space. As you do this, make sure the front bumper has cleared the right rear bumper of the front vehicle. Also keep an eye on the vehicle behind you. You should end with the car parallel to the curb.
10. If the back tire touches the curb, pull forward with the wheel turned to the right.
11. Brake once your vehicle occupies the middle of the parking space. If necessary, center your vehicle in the middle of the parking space, ensuring both the front and the rear vehicles have sufficient space for exiting the parking.

Tip: It sounds tricky for a beginner, but when parking it's better to use the mirrors rather than turning your head around. This way it's less likely to miss an obstacle on the other side, and you can use both of your hands for turning the steering wheel. Another advantage of mirror parking is better coordination, as you see exactly where your car is going, thus allowing for closer and more precise parking. It is generally considered to be rude, if not illegal, to not leave sufficient space for neighbouring vehicles to steer out of the parallel parking line, to park too far from the curb, or to leave too much space between you and the neighboring vehicles.

[edit] What to do when problems occur

1. Bear in mind that there is no harm in bumping your right rear wheel into the curb, but there may be substantial harm in bumping into the fenders of the cars in front of and behind you. You may find that a given space is simply not large enough to allow you to park.
2. Once one understands the basic procedure of parallel parking, the main problems one may face in executing the above procedure are: (1) hitting the curb with the right rear wheel, (2) hitting the left rear fender or bumper of the front car with the right front fender or bumper of your car while making your final turn, (3) backing into the rear car, (4) driving forward into the front car, and (5) ending up too far from the curb. (Many municipalities will have a maximum distance one can park from the curb, such as 0.5 meter (18 inches).) These problems generally stem from the fact that while one's car is at an angle, both the total horizontal and total vertical (front to back) difference of the rectangle bounding most car's dimensions will be greater than when it is parked.
3. If you hit the curb while backing in with the steering wheel cranked to the left, and if there is room between your front bumper and the front car, pull forward with the steering wheel straight or even turned slightly to the right, stopping as close as you can to the rear bumper of the front car without hitting it. This action allows you to provide some free space between your right rear tire and the curb. You can then make another approach, reversing once again with the steering wheel cranked fully to the left. You may have to repeat this procedure again, or several times, to get the rear of your car properly situated. This is referred to below as the "basic correction." If you are too far forward in the parking space when you hit the curb, though, you will not have enough room to pull forward and create this extra space. In such a situation, it may be best to pull out of the space and start over, either from the beginning, or part way through, the parallel parking process.
4. If you hit the right rear fender or bumper of the front car, it is because your angle of approach was too acute or you began your final turn too far forward. You also may have been too close to the front car when you began. You will generally need to pull out and start over from the beginning, being sure to signal left as you pull out. (This article will not address issues of insurance or ethics relevant to such collisions.)
5. If you hit either the rear or front cars while trying to complete the procedure in the first step above, you may have chosen too small of a space. Getting out of such a tight space may be as difficult, and result in as much additional contact, as getting into the space would. You may have to repeat the basic correction multiple times, moving only centimeters at a time, while you gain a better understanding of how large of a space is large enough for your car.
6. If you end up too far from the curb, and the space is a tight one, you may simply have to leave the space or risk a parking ticket. If you do have space to maneuver, however, you can execute the basic correction, pulling straight forward up to the front car and then backing while turning the wheel all the way to the right, then turning the wheel hard all the way to the left about halfway through the turn and backing up to the front of the rear car if you need to repeat the exercise. Each time you do this, you move the rear of the car a little bit closer to the curb. Be sure to center the car in the space before leaving it.
7. Special problems occur if the curb itself is along an arc. In such circumstances, the main thing to bear in mind is that neither the front nor the rear wheels can legally be further from the curb than the statutory limits allow.

[edit] Advanced Parking Guidance System

In 2003, Lexus introduced a technology to assist drivers in parallel parking their car. Recently, the technology was offered in select luxury Lexus models like the Lexus LS in the United States under the trade name "EZ-Park." The technology, officially called the Advanced Parking Guidance System, was advertised on its commercials depicting a driver backing into two stacks of champagne glasses without knocking them down.

[edit] External links

• The parking game
• How to parallel park video tutorial
• Passing a Driving Exam
• Practice exercises for learning how to parallel park
• How to do a Perfect Parallel Parking?