PARALLEL PARKING

If the mere thought of parallel parking makes your hands sweat, you are not alone. Many drivers experience the same level of stress since they must align and park their vehicle without causing any harm to other vehicles. Parallel parking is a way of parking a vehicle in close proximity to other parked vehicles. Parallel parked cars are in a single line parallel to the sidewalk, with the front bumpers of each car facing the rear bumper of the neighboring one.

Parallel parking is a difficult technique to learn due of its complexity. Nonetheless, it is an important driving technique that you must be aware of in order to park in the small places that you face on a daily basis.

Parallel Parking Procedure:

Step 1: You should not  just park your car in the first available place while parallel parking. To check if your vehicle will fit in the available parking place, you must carefully examine it. Your  parking spot should be one and a half times the length of your vehicle. Only then should you pull over or continue seeking for a suitable location. When you've discovered the perfect location, come to a complete stop parallel to the vehicle you'll be parking behind. While doing so, keep a gap of 2-3 feet.

Step 2: Then, carefully reverse until the center of your automobile is aligned to the back bumper of the other vehicle. At this moment, your vehicle will begin to change course in order to slot behind the vehicle in front of it. The advantage of keeping a safe distance will become clear here; you'll have enough room to reverse without risking collision between your car and the other vehicles.

Step 3: Turn the steering wheel to produce a 45° angle, and shift into reverse gear. Then, spin the steering wheel anti-clockwise and keep backing until your car is properly lined with the rest of the cars and parallel to the  sidewalk or divider.

Step 4: The next stage is to ensure that your vehicle is at an equal spacing from the vehicles in front and behind it, as well as from the street's edge. If not, adjust your vehicle until it is in the middle and has completely parallel lines.

Remember, the more you practice parallel parking utilizing these techniques, the simpler it will be to perfect the skill without sweating hands or the risk of colliding with other parked automobiles.