A 3-minute lesson from the Minnesota course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Parking rules keep your car from rolling into traffic and keep hydrants, crossings and intersections clear. Most test questions here are about distances, so learn them exactly.
Know the rule
When parallel parking, the wheels nearest the curb must be no more than 12 inches from it. Turn the front wheels toward the curb or shoulder, shift into park and set the parking brake so a rolling car heads off the road, not into traffic.
Before opening a door on the road side, check for vehicles, motorcycles, bicyclists and pedestrians, and don't leave a traffic-side door open longer than needed to load or unload.
On state highways or freeways, move your parked vehicle off the main road; if you can't, use visible markers or signals. At night or when lights are needed, show at least one white or amber front light and one red taillight, both visible from 500 feet, and set headlights to low beam.
You park facing uphill on a street with a curb. Turn the front wheels away from the curb so that if the car rolls back, the tires catch against it. Then set the parking brake.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
When parallel parking, how far may your wheels be from the curb?
No more than 24 inches
No more than 6 inches
No more than 36 inches
No more than 12 inches
Answer: No more than 12 inches
When parallel parked, your wheels should be no more than 12 inches from the curb.
