A 3-minute lesson from the Tennessee course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Parallel parking comes down to judging distance while controlling a slow speed — and checking traffic the whole time. Angle parking is easier going in but tricky coming out, because the cars beside you block your view.
Parallel parking in four steps
1. Check behind, signal, stop even with the car ahead of the space, bumpers lined up, at least 2 feet away
2. Look over your right shoulder; back slowly, turning sharply right to about a 45-degree angle
3. When your front bumper passes the other car's rear bumper, turn sharply left
4. Turn right and pull forward slowly until centered in the space
You finish parallel parking and your tire is about two feet from the curb. That's more than 18 inches — pull out and try again, or adjust forward and back until you're close enough.
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 completing a parallel parking maneuver, your vehicle should end up no farther than how many inches from the curb?
6 inches
36 inches
48 inches
18 inches
Answer: 18 inches
Upon completing parallel parking, your vehicle should be no farther than 18 inches from the curb.
