How To Turn Wheels On A Hill When Parking

When parking uphill or downhill, you must make special considerations to account for the additional risk.

Learning how to park uphill or downhill will help you to build your confidence behind the wheel and, in some cities, it's unavoidable.

Steps for Parking on a Hill

When parking downhill or uphill, follow the steps below to avoid any catastrophes:

Step One: Pull Into the Parking Space

Pull into the parking space as normal. If you are parallel parking, just park your car as you usually would.

Bear in mind that your car will begin to roll forward/backward, so keep your foot on the brake pedal or the gas pedal to ensure it doesn't roll away.

Step Two: Shift Into First Gear or Park

Once you have pulled your vehicle into the parking space, shift it into park if it's an automatic and first gear if it's a manual.

Step Three: Apply Your Emergency Brake and Turn the Tires

Apply the emergency brake and turn your wheels.

Turning your wheels provides extra coverage in the event that the parking brake fails. It means that the car will roll into the curb and not straight down the road, potentially averting a major traffic accident.

If you're parking downhill, point your wheels toward the curb. Simply edge forward until the front of your front wheel touches the curb.

When parking uphill, turn them away from the curb, edging back until the back of your front wheel touches the curb.

If there is no curb, simply turn your wheels to the right, ensuring that the car rolls forward when parking downhill and backward when parking uphill, thus taking it away from the road.

Step Five: Be Cautious When Exiting Your Vehicle

Extra caution is needed when exiting your vehicle after downhill or uphill parking. Other drivers won't always have clear visibility and may not have time to react if you suddenly appear in front of them.

Wait until the coast is clear before stepping out of the vehicle and don't dawdle.

How to Exit a Downhill or Uphill Parking Space

To exit a hill parking position, apply the brakes and deactivate the emergency brake. This will ensure that you don't roll into the car behind or in front.

Check your mirrors and keep an eye out for oncoming traffic. Once you're in the clear, release the brake, step on the gas, and slowly pull away.

Summary: How to Turn Your Wheels When Parking on a Hill

To summarize, when you're parking on a hill, there are a few simple steps to take, including putting the car into park/first gear and applying the emergency brake.

One of the most important steps involves turning the wheels so that the car rolls into the curb if the brakes fail.

If you have parked facing downhill, the front of your front tire should be resting against the curb. If you have parked facing uphill, the back of your front tire should be pushed up against the curb.