How do you get out of parallel parking?

Parallel parking is a difficult task that many drivers fear. Concerns about holding up traffic and denting other parked cars can cause people to look for more accessible parking elsewhere, even if it means a long walk to their final destination.

Even though it is no longer required on many licensing road skill tests, knowing how to parallel park is still important and should be practiced along with yourdrivers ed course. This is especially true if you drive somewhere where street parking is common. Learning how to parallel park takes patience and practice, but once you learn, you will appreciate how useful this technique is.

Parallel Parking Step-by-Step

The first step in parallel parking is to locate a parking space. You must ensure the space is slightly longer than your vehicle. In general, the space between the other two parked cars should be at least 16 inches longer than your vehicle. The bigger the space, the easier it is to park in. 

Once you have located a suitable space, follow these steps:

1. Pull alongside the parking spot and turn on your indicator light to signal you are parking.

2. Look in your mirrors to make sure it is safe to park.

3. Pull your car up alongside the vehicle parked in front of your space, staying about 16 to 24 inches away from, and parallel to it. 

4. Stop, put your car in reverse, and look over your right shoulder behind you.

5. Turn the wheel completely to the right and start slowly backing up.

6. As your car swings in toward the curb, keep the steering wheel turned to the right until the rear driver’s side corner of your vehicle is in line with the front driver’s side bumper of the car behind you.

7. At this point, begin turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction while continuing to back up.

8. As you pull into the parking space, straighten the wheels of your car, and pull forward or backward as needed to leave a space in front and behind your car. 

9. Before you set the parking brake, be sure your wheels are within 12 inches of the curb. If they aren’t, you may need to pull the car forward and back in again while turning the steering wheel to get closer.

Exiting a Parallel Parking Space

To drive out of a parallel parking space, start by backing up as close as possible to the car behind you, without touching it. Then drive forward while turning the steering wheel to the left, and slowly exit. Remember to use your turn signal to indicate you are exiting the space so other drivers know what you are doing.

Practicing Parallel Parking

Parallel parking does take some practice. Find an empty parking lot or street to practice on, using traffic cones or other markers to indicate where the other cars would be. Take your time and practice on several occasions until you are comfortable with this parking technique. The next time you look for parking on a busy street, you will be glad you have mastered this useful 

You’re not alone. Many drivers feel pressure when faced with squeezing their car between two others to parallel park. But that doesn’t mean it’s difficult, says Joe Giammona, the CEO of 911 Driving Schools, where police officers and first responders teach this maneuver, along with other basics. “It’s just a matter of learning how to do it right,” he says. So consider this your crash course on how to parallel park correctly—every time.

• Find a Parking Spot
• Signal and Assume the Position
• Check Your Surroundings
• Start Reversing and Turn the Wheel
• Straighten Out and Turn the Wheel the Other Way
• Straighten and Align
• Admire Your Work

How To Parallel Park

Step 1: Find the right parking spot.

Don’t try to parallel park in the first spot you see. Giammona suggests looking for something that’s roughly one-and-a-half times the length of your vehicle.

As you approach a space, he says, remember this handy acronym: MSMOG. Check Mirrors, turn on the right Signal, check Mirrors again, look Over your right shoulder, and Go when safe. Then pull up next to the car you’re going to parallel park behind, keeping a safe distance (two to three feet away) from its side.

Step 2: Put it in reverse.

Before you start moving, get into the proper backing position for parallel parking. For Giammona, that means sitting up tall and turning your shoulders 90 degrees from the back of your seat.

Next, reverse slowly until the middle of your car lines up with the other car’s rear bumper. If another car approaches from the rear, Giammona recommends remaining in position with your signal on and your car in reverse. “That way, the driver approaching knows your intention,” he says.

Step 3: Head toward the curb.

When the coast is clear, cut the steering wheel sharply toward the curb to approach at a
45-degree angle; continue until you can see the headlights of the car behind you in the driver’s-side wing mirror.

For most cars, when the passenger’s-side wing mirror is in line with the rear bumper of the car in front of you, that’s your cue to turn your wheels back the other way. Continue backing until your vehicle is aligned with the cars at either end, and parallel to the curb or road edge.

Step 4: Straighten and align.

Always center your car between the two other vehicles, as it “allows both cars room to exit the spaces,” says Giammona. Though proper distance from the curb varies by state, typically your car should be between 12 and 18 inches from the curb, he says.

If your right rear wheel taps the curb, most of the time you can put the vehicle in drive, turn the wheels all the way to the right and move forward until the vehicle is parallel, says Giammona. Then do one last check on your distance from the curb.

Happy parallel parking.

Do you often have trouble finding parking? Check out the GEICO Mobile app’s Parking Garage Locator feature, and download GEICO Mobile for free from the App Store or Google Play.

Next: Parking can be a stressful part of driving, but it doesn’t have to be. Read more to find out how to handle stressful driving situations.

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