Parallel parking has a reputation as the hardest part of driving, and for a lot of new drivers it's the part of the road test they dread most. But parallel parking isn't a talent. It's a sequence of steps with clear reference points, and once you know the sequence, it's mostly about going slowly enough to follow it.
This guide breaks the maneuver down into steps, explains why each one works, and covers the most common mistakes and how to fix them.
How parallel parking works
A car steers from the front wheels, but it pivots around the rear wheels. When you reverse with the wheel turned, the back of the car swings in a tight arc while the front swings wide. Parallel parking uses that in two curves, like a stretched-out letter S:
- The first curve swings the back of the car in toward the curb.
- The second curve, steering the other way, swings the front in behind it and straightens the car out.
Nearly every parallel parking problem comes from switching between those two curves too early or too late. That's why reference points matter so much. They tell you when to switch.
Step by step
These steps assume you're parking on the right side of the road, as in the United States and Canada. On the left side, mirror every direction.
1. Find a space and signal
Look for a space at least one and a half times the length of your car if you can. Bigger is easier. Turn on your right signal early to show the drivers behind you that you're about to stop and back up.
2. Pull up alongside the car in front of the space
Stop next to the parked car at the front of the space, about two to three feet away from it, with your rear bumper lined up with its rear bumper. Some instructors teach lining up your side mirrors, or stopping slightly past its bumper. Any of these works, as long as you use the same one every time.
3. Check around you, then reverse and turn toward the curb
Check your mirrors and look over your shoulder for traffic and cyclists. Shift into reverse. Begin backing slowly, and turn the steering wheel toward the curb. Many drivers turn it a full turn or all the way to the lock.
4. Watch for the 45-degree point
Keep backing until your car is at roughly a 45-degree angle to the curb. A common reference point is when you can see the far curb, or the front car's rear corner, in the center of your rear window, or when the curb appears in your right mirror. This is the moment the back of your car has swung far enough into the space.
5. Straighten the wheel and back in
Return the steering wheel to straight and keep reversing slowly at that angle. Your front bumper should clear the back of the car in front of you. Watch your front right corner so you don't clip it.
6. Turn away from the curb to swing the front in
Once your front bumper has passed the rear bumper of the car in front, turn the wheel the other way, away from the curb. The front of your car will now swing in behind the parked car and your car will straighten out. Keep an eye on the car behind you so you stop before you get too close.
7. Center and settle
Once you're straight, shift into drive and pull forward a little to center yourself in the space, leaving room in front and behind. Then straighten the wheels and set the parking brake if required.
How close to the curb?
Most road tests expect you to end up parallel to the curb and close to it, commonly within 12 to 18 inches. Rules vary, so check your driver handbook for the exact limit. Touching the curb gently may cost points. Hitting it hard or climbing it is usually treated as a serious error.
If you finish too far out, it's usually better to pull out and try again than to make a long series of small back-and-forth corrections. Many tests limit how many times you can change direction.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
| What happens | Usual cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| You end up far from the curb | Turned away from the curb too early, or started too far from the front car | Back up further at the 45-degree angle before the second turn, and start two to three feet from the parked car |
| Your back wheel hits the curb | Stayed at the steep angle too long, or reversed too fast | Make the second turn sooner, and slow down |
| Your front corner clips the car in front | Turned away from the curb before your front bumper cleared theirs | Wait until your front bumper has fully passed their rear bumper |
| You end up crooked | Didn't complete the second turn, or straightened too soon | Hold the wheel away from the curb until the car is parallel, then pull forward to adjust |
| You bump the car behind | Not watching your rear while backing | Check the rear window and mirrors throughout, and stop with a few feet to spare |
Tips that make it easier
- Go painfully slowly. Speed is the enemy here. At walking pace or slower, you have time to see what's happening and react to it.
- Turn the wheel while the car is moving, just barely. Turning the wheel while completely stopped (dry steering) is hard on tires and steering, and some examiners mark it.
- Use all your mirrors. Tilting your right mirror down so you can see the curb is a useful trick some drivers use while practicing.
- Look around constantly. Pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers don't stop because you're parking. Keep checking.
- Practice with cones first. Two traffic cones or trash cans in an empty lot can stand in for parked cars, and they're much more forgiving when you hit them.
Bigger vehicles
The steps are the same in an SUV or pickup truck, but the margins are smaller. A longer vehicle needs a longer space, and a longer wheelbase means a wider turn. If you're taking your road test in a bigger vehicle, practice in that vehicle, or one like it, so your reference points match.
Practicing in The Driver Tester
The Driver Tester's Parallel Parking scenario puts you on a street with two parked cars and a space between them. You can practice in a Small Car, SUV or Small Pickup, and the space stays the same size, so the bigger vehicles are noticeably harder, just as they are in real life.
Each park is scored the moment you finish it. As on a real test, it only counts if you back in and the whole car ends up between the ends of the space. You get 40 points for completing the park, up to 20 for ending up parallel to the curb, up to 20 for how close you are to it, and up to 20 for doing it in three or fewer direction changes. Hitting a parked car costs 15 points and hitting the curb costs 10. One perfect park is a pass.
A good way to practice is to start in the 2D overhead view, where you can clearly see the S-shape your car makes, then switch to the 3D cockpit view and try to repeat it using only the mirrors and the backup camera. That's exactly the switch you'll have to make in a real car.
In Reverse, the 2D view draws where your rear corners will go with the wheel where it is, and after each park you can press Replay Last Park to watch it again at double speed.