The first step to parking a car is finding a parking space. When choosing a parking space you need to remember that:
You need a parking space that is large enough for your carA large car needs a larger parking spot than a smaller carYou need enough clearance to the sides to maneuver (about 4 feet on each side)Check if other cars are parked on the white line marking your parking spot as it might be too tightIf parallel parking, you want to look for a spot that is at least 1.5x the length of your carAlso, if you can, locate an open parking space away from other cars and . Even as you grow used to dealing with tight parking spots and pedestrians, it will still be considerably harder to park properly in tight situations compared to in open parking spaces.
In this case, any of the two parking spots should do as each parking spot has plenty of space to the sides
You need to learn how to park a car in the three main types of parking spaces that can be found in the United States:
Angle Parking SpotParallel Parking SpotPerpendicular Parking SpotLuckily for you, we’ll go through them all in this article.
Angle parking is the most common type of parking spot found in high-traffic areas and one-way roads. The purpose of parking at an angle is that it allows the drivers to more easily access the parking spot, and more easily drive out of it. For that reason, it is also easiest to learn how to park at an angle before moving to parallel and/or perpendicular parking spots.
Angle parking is essentially parking at an angle (often 45°) to the road. The crux of an angle parking spot is to be aware of how traffic around you is behaving as you’ll most likely have limited to no vision of the road as you reverse out of the parking spot.
Follow these 4 steps when angle parking.
Find a parking spotDrive slowly and enter at an angleAlight the car in the parking spotOpen the car doors carefullyThe parking spot should have at least 4 feet to each side. If the parking spot is too tight, you won’t be able to open the car doors even if you can successfully squeeze in. The passengers in the cars next to you also risk slamming their car doors into your car as they attempt to enter their own cars.
Enter the angle parking spot by entering the parking spot at an angle and slowly edging forward until your car is correctly positioned within the white lines.
Align your car so it is straight in the parking spot when you park your car, not before you move out.
By aligning your car and wheels as you park, you will make it easy for you to move out of the spot later. If you intend to align the car before you move out of the parking spot, you may find that the cars to your sides have changed and that you no longer have space to the sides, making the move difficult.
As you leave your vehicle, it’s’ always good to be extra careful to not slam the car door(s) into the cars on the sides. It can easily happen and it may end up being rather costly.
