Parking Close To The Curb

“Did I scrape the hubcaps?” or “Will I go up on the sidewalk?” are the most common thoughts when parking close to the curb. In the practical test, this maneuver is called a ‘regular parking stop,’ and it is always at the end of the practical exam to terrify drivers. But nothing that a little training and practice do not solve.

The secret of this type of maneuver is to bring the car’s front wheels as close as possible to the sidewalk side without touching the tires, without grating the hubcaps, and without climbing on the curb. Speaking seems to be something very simple, which it is, but in practice, with other emotional and psychological factors getting in the way, the practice becomes a little more complicated. So, here are some tips

Approaching the place where you are going to park, already signal for the driver behind to understand your intention;

Approach the parking curbs and slow down as you approach. A car only goes up the sidewalk when the speed is not slow; if you do this maneuver very slowly, you will notice when the tire touched the sidewalk, and you will have time to stop the car before the tire goes up. Remember: it is a simple maneuver that requires calm and tranquility.

The moment you are parking close to the curb, the tire on the side you park on will approach the sidewalk first. The rear will be ‘crooked.’ To align the car, pull the steering wheel far enough so that the front of the car aligns with the curb; at that moment, it is FUNDAMENTAL to look at the rearview mirror on the side of the ride to check if the rear of the car is still too far out or if it is aligned perpendicularly with the curb. Always with an arrow on!

If at the time you pulled the front of the car to try to bring the back to align close to the curb, it ended up going a little forward; it is simple: put the reverse gear, turn the steering wheel into space until the back of your car, touch the white line of the photo. At this point, continue to “pull” the rear of the car (turn into space) until the front and rear wheels align with this white stripe.

If you pulled the rear of the car in the reverse maneuver to align with the white stripe, you ended up passing a little bit. The wheels went closer to the curb or leaned against the sidewalk; there’s no mistake: step on the brake, hold on the car in the half clutch, put the first gear in, and pull the face of the car forward by bending the wheels so that it aligns with the white stripe or the curb. There you go: it’s parked and good and without suffocation.

Every maneuver is done calmly and calmly, at a very low speed so that you have time to notice when the front wheels touch the curb and give you time to avoid going up the sidewalk. Did the rear wheel touch the curb? No problem put the first and pull the front of the car to align the vacancy.