Watching people fail at parallel parking is part of the quintessential roadside cafe experience, especially if it’s in a city. They come, they try, they fail, and somebody else comes along and benefits from the open spot. It’s a passive reminder that most people don’t know their cars as well as they think and we hope.
It’s enough of a problem for people — or they just don’t want to learn — that automakers have even automated the practice for many new cars. That people don’t care to know how to parallel park is telling of how people view their cars in general. Despite the fact that driving a car is one of the biggest responsibilities in life, people treat them frivolously and handle them equally poorly.
We can’t change the way people care for their own vehicles, but maybe we can slightly shift how people think about driving and help them understand why it’s better for everybody to become better drivers, which includes knowing how to parallel park.
Below, The Drive’s Guides & Gear editors explain why parallel parking is important beyond the obvious reasons and offer some tips for helping everybody who has to park on the street. Check your mirrors, and let’s begin.
Yes, it’s possible to avoid learning how to parallel park. Yes, you could have your friend do it. No, you likely won’t ever be forced to prove you still know how to do it by the DMV. But hear me out: It’s important.
Many Americans directly associate knowing how to parallel park with passing the driving test as a teenager, but having that skill is crucial to understanding how to handle and control your ride. It doesn’t matter where the car needs to go or how it gets there, you should know how to maneuver your car into a space where it can physically fit. The more you know about your car, the more you understand its physical attributes, the better driver you will be. And the better drivers we are, the safer the roads will be. It’s a win-win.
Parallel parking can be frustrating because we forget the steps or don’t have a good grasp of the limits of our cars — not speed limits or cornering g-forces but the literal physical dimensions. If we don’t know where our cars start and end, we’re essentially trying to park blind. Parking blind sounds terrifying. It’s no wonder the term parallelophobia has been coined.
By mastering simple tasks like parallel parking, drivers have a better awareness of how cars interact with their surroundings. We can navigate parking lots and parking garages easier, sneak through traffic quicker and generally know where our cars will or won’t fit.
Learning how to parallel park connects us to our cars and makes us better drivers. So, let’s dive in.
If a parking spot passes the eye test and you think you’ll fit, follow these steps to safely and quickly slide into the space. For the purposes of these instructions, we’ll be talking about a space to the right of the car. The car ahead will be Car 1, and the car behind will be Car 2.
There are numerous ways to make parallel parking less of an issue. Some are small and cost nothing, others are extreme and expensive.
If you have a friend with you, there’s no shame in using that person to assist. You’ll still have to figure out the angles, but the spotter can tell you how far you are from both the curb and the vehicles you’re trying to avoid hitting. Don't let ego interfere; take the help.
A backup camera will make it easier to judge how close your car is to another car when reversing. For full information, read our guide, How To Install a Backup Camera.
BMWMany new cars come with partially automated parking.
Certain new cars can parallel park themselves without any input from the driver. Most newer cars are often equipped with sensors and cameras that will alert you when you're getting too close to another object with your vehicle. Parallel parking will always be easier and quicker with sensors and cameras.
The growing popularity of crossovers, SUVs, and trucks means that parking has become more difficult for everyone. Not only do they take up more space, but they also have much worse visibility and sightlines. In some vehicles, you can’t see a single child if 10 of them sat right in front of it. So, how is somebody sitting inside supposed to know how close a car is front or back? Smaller cars are easier to park, and lower cars make it easier to see your obstacles.
Visibility is not entirely dependent on ride height. It also includes factors such as roof design and how the windows are shaped. Cars such as the Mazda 3 hatchback and the old Nissan Altima coupe have abysmal visibility, as does the current Chevrolet Camaro, which can make them dangerous for certain drivers. With a big wide-open window design, it’s easier to judge parking. Keep that in mind when purchasing your next vehicle.
Bumper damage is almost a certainty if you’re regularly parking your car on a side street, but there are ways to help prevent and avoid damage from rogue parkers.
The easiest way to protect your car from parallel parking is to avoid it completely, but if that’s not possible, you can at least delete one car from the situation. By parking at the end of a street or near a fire hydrant, you reduce the danger caused by other automobiles because you can only be hit on one end of the car.
You’ll ruin any attractive features of your automobile by using bumper protectors, and they’re not guaranteed to protect your vehicle from all scratches and dents, but a bumper hitting rubber is still better than a bumper hitting a bumper. You can buy the full mat, rubber strips, or extended license-plate frames.
Cones work, too. This was a hilarious moment in history, but please, don’t do this. Everybody will hate you, you might get a ticket, or somebody might damage your vehicle.
If you frequently park on the street, it’s a great idea to get a bottle of color-matched touch-up paint for quick and easy cover-ups. If you don’t want to pay for that, you could go the cheap hack route and use a Sharpie, as detailed by our sister site, Car Bibles.
Sometimes it’s easier to learn by watching someone else do it rather than reading about it. Check out these video instructions to get a better grasp of parallel parking.
You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers.
A: You can treat your car how you please, but other cars are not your property, and they should not be touched. Ever. Please, stop touching other people’s cars.
A: Hazard lights might seem like a good way to alert surrounding drivers that you’re cautiously trying to park, but it could send the wrong signals. Some people might think you’re simply parked and not moving, which means somebody else could try to take the spot. If you use one blinker, it informs everybody of your intentions and lays claim to the spot.
A: The best part of practicing is that you don’t have to use other cars. Go to an open parking lot and try using cones, garbage cans, or something soft that won’t damage your vehicle while you’re improving your parking skills.
A: When preparing to parallel park, your car should be about 2 to 3 feet from the other car. As far as the distance between your car and the cars in front and back of you, it’s best to leave a couple of feet of space in between your car and others. This space is important because you and the other drivers require space to leave the spots, and you don’t want any scraped bumpers.
We’re here to be expert guides in everything “how to” related. Use us, compliment us, yell at us. Comment below, and let’s talk. You can also shout at us on Twitter or Instagram or reach us all here: guidesandgear@thedrive.com.
