Backing and parallel parking are slow, but most of the danger is what you can't see. Move slowly, turn your head and body to look, and never trust your mirrors alone.
Parallel parking:
- Signal and stop parallel to the car in front of the space, about 18 inches away, rear bumpers even
- Back slowly, turning sharply right until you're at about a 45-degree angle; straighten the wheels
- When your front bumper is even with the other car's back bumper, turn sharply left
- Back slowly toward the car behind without touching it
- Turn right and pull forward slowly to center in the space
Minimum space between your bumpers and other vehicles when parked, unless marked otherwise
Handbook p. 74 ↗Know the rule
Park only in designated areas. Along a roadway, park as far from traffic as possible, and as close to the curb as possible if there is one.
Handbook p. 74 ↗Backing out of an angle space:
- Walk around first to be sure nothing is blocking the space
- Back slowly; oncoming traffic is hard to see
- When you can see past the tops of the cars beside you, stop and look again
- Remember the front of your car swings opposite to the direction you turn
- Back until your left front wheel passes the rear bumper of the car on your left
- Straighten the wheels as you come back into the lane
Leaving a perpendicular or angle space:
- Check traffic, foot on the brake, shift to reverse, signal your turn direction
- Back straight until your front bumper clears the car beside you
- Turn the wheel sharply in the direction the rear should move
- Centered in the lane, stop, shift to drive, and accelerate smoothly
Know the rule
Before backing, check behind the vehicle. Turn your head and body so you can see where you're going; don't depend on your mirrors.
Handbook p. 77 ↗Know the rule
Place a hand at the top of the steering wheel, back slowly, and always be ready to stop.
Handbook p. 77 ↗Know the rule
Before backing, walk around the car to make sure no child, pet or object is in the way.
Handbook p. 77 ↗Know the rule
Backing up is not allowed on the shoulder or roadway of any controlled-access highway, or anywhere it can't be done safely without interfering with traffic.
Handbook p. 102 ↗Put it into practice
Backing out of a store's angle space, you can't see past the SUV beside you. Creep back slowly until you can see past it, stop and look both ways again, then keep backing while watching for traffic.