Page 18 - AAA Central Penn - AAA Now! May/June 2015

AAA
Parallel Parking is Easy!
DRIVING SCHOOL
TM
The art of driving, once mastered, can be one of the most enjoyable, relaxing activities you can do; but it can, at times, be rather stressful and even dangerous under certain circumstances. Parking your car, though, shouldn’t be one of those stressful times. That said, there are a lot of drivers to whom parallel parking is something to be avoided at all costs. Are you one of them?
Parallel parking doesn’t have to be stressful or hard. With a little practice, it can become as easy as any other form of parking. Try the following steps to help get rid of those pesky parallel parking pangs. Since it’s the most common, we’ll outline the procedure for parking on the right-hand side of the road:
1) First, you’ll want to select an open parking space that is at least 5 feet longer than the length of your vehicle (roughly, a spot that’s at least 11⁄2 times longer).
2) Next, check the traffic behind you and signal your intentions, using your brake lights and right turn signal.
3) Move parallel to the car parked in front of the space, leaving 2 to 3 feet between vehicles.
4) Stop when the center-point of your vehicle is in line with the center-point of the vehicle beside you. 5) Slowly back your vehicle, steering sharply to
the right, and continue backing until the center- point of your vehicle is in line with the rear of
the vehicle beside you (if you’re just learning
this maneuver, you may want to stop briefly at
this point).
6) Continue backing slowly while straightening the wheels, making quick glances forward to ensure the front wheels are straight. Continue backing until the right front corner of your vehicle is in
line with the rear of the other vehicle (again,
pause here for a moment while you’re learning these steps).
7) Looking to your rear, back up slowly, turning the steering wheel sharply to the left as far as it will go. Continue backing slowly and stop before touching the vehicle behind you.
8) Move slowly forward as you straighten your wheels, and stop when your vehicle is positioned an equal distance from the vehicle in front of you and the vehicle behind you. (If you’re on a steep grade, be sure to apply your emergency brake before exiting the vehicle.)
If all vehicles are in the same position when you’re ready to leave, then exiting your parking space is easy too. Here are the steps to take:
1) Disengage the emergency brake, if you applied it, and check for traffic coming from the rear. As you back slowly, turn your steering wheel to the right and stop as close as possible to the front of the vehicle parked behind you.
2) Shift to “drive” and check your mirrors as well as over your left shoulder for approaching traffic.
3) Turn on your left turn signal to alert approaching drivers of your intention.
4) When conditions are safe, move slowly forward, steering rapidly as far to the left as possible.
5) When the front of your vehicle clears the rear of the vehicle parked in front of you, straighten your wheels.
6) Move slowly forward until the center-point of your vehicle is in line with the rear of the vehicle parked in front of you. While continuing to move slowly forward, start turning the steering wheel to the right, being careful not to make contact with the other vehicle.
7) When you’re clear of the other vehicle, search well ahead and steer into the nearest travel lane, adjusting your speed as appropriate. Be alert for traffic approaching from the rear.
That’s it! With a little practice, you should get good at moving in and out of those pesky parallel parking spaces, and you can put away any fears you may have had before. Good luck and drive safe!
By Rick Ramsey,
Regional Manager, AAA Central Penn
(Parking tips are taken from AAA’s "How to Drive: The Beginning Driver’s Manual," 14th edition)
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MAY/JUNE 2015
Now!