Best Practices of Parking Downhill
December 11, 2020
Learning about the best practices of parking downhill is ideal because there will be a time in your life (if it hasn’t happened already) where you will need to safely park down a hill. The reality is that not all places are flat when it comes to street parking, and it might cause some anxiety if you are not entirely sure your vehicle is secure when nose down. Because there can be some pretty massive damages and injuries when not done correctly, when parking downhill, it is best to know some of the vital safety tips so you can park optimally, legally, and safely, every single time.
Best Practices of Parking Downhill
- Don’t Rely on Your Brakes: You may or may not have heard of this one, but never rely on your brakes alone when parking downhill. When parking, make sure to utilize your emergency brake before getting out of your car.
- Wheel Positioning: If there is a curb involved when parking downhill, it is best to turn your wheel into the curb. This will act as back-up brakes if your parking brakes fail for any reason. Alternatively, if there is no curb present, turn your wheels to the right side of the road. This will enable your vehicle to move away from traffic if it begins to roll.
- Park at a Safe Distance from Others: If there are no parking lines to reference, make sure you remain a safe distance from other parked vehicles on the same side of the road as you. Leave plenty of room for them to be able to pull in or out, and enough buffer for you as well, in case you roll back a bit before hitting the gas to leave when ready.
- Leaving Tips: Though this article is about the best practice of parking downhill, getting ready to leave is a significant element to the process as well. When you are ready to leave your downhill parking space, place your foot on the brakes with pressure first, and then turn your car on after. Turn your wheels in the correct direction again to enter back into the road, and turn off the emergency brake. Lastly, shift your gear into drive, let your foot off the brake, and accelerate slowly to proceed forward.
Conclusion – Parking Downhill Confidently
After reading through the step-by-step guide and learning additional best practices of parking downhill, you should have a better understanding of what to do when put in a situation like this in the future. The most important thing is to never rely on your brakes alone; turn your wheels toward the curb to act as an additional brake in case the emergency brake fails, and always leave enough space between you and the other vehicles that are also parked on the hill.
