Parallel parking
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Parallel parking is a method of parking a vehicle in line with other parked cars. Cars parked in parallel are in one line, parallel to the curb, with the front bumper of each car facing the back bumper of an adjacent one. Parallel parking always has the car parallel to the curb and other cars. The car must be reversed and driven (as in the video example) to be considered a full parallel park. Roads that facilitate said parking have an extra lane or a large shoulder for parked cars. It is also employed anytime Parking facilities are not available — usually in large metropolitan areas where there is a high density of vehicles and few (or restricted) accommodations such as parking garages.
Parallel parking is considered to be one of the hardest skills for new drivers to learn. Parallel parking allows the vehicle to park into a smaller space. Driving forward into a parallel parking space is not typically possible unless two adjacent spots are free. Reversing into the spot via the parallel parking technique accomplishes the maneuver in a single parking spot length.
Beginning drivers who use reference points for alignment, angle, and when to turn the wheel the opposite way find the procedure much easier to learn. They find it easier to briefly stop at each reference point and turn for the next step. They find it easier to learn by going back straight after the angle before turning the wheel to the opposite way to curve into the curb. The parking is more reproducible when turning to lock and only looking at the wheel for verification when going back straight.
In the early 21st century, car manufacturers are addressing this need by introducing automatic parking.
[edit] Procedure for entering a parking space
The animation displays parking on the right side of the road.
- Signal into the space.
- Ensure that your desired parking space is about 2 meters (~~6 feet) longer than your vehicle (although some highly skilled drivers are capable of parking in spaces that are within 0.3 m (one foot) of their vehicle length. A skilled driver can also park in space that the car barely fits, by going back and forth once the car's tail is in.)
- Line up your vehicle beside the vehicle in front of the parking space. Try and keep as little lateral distance between the two vehicles as possible.
- Turn the steering wheel one turn towards the curb and put your car into reverse.
- Back up the vehicle so that your rear bumper is first to enter the parking space. The greater the lateral distance between the two vehicles, the steeper the turn must be. If you manage to pull your car as near as 5 inches from the already parked one, you should aim your rear bumper roughly at 1/3rd of the space length, measured from the rear car.
- Once the rear end of the vehicle is going in the desired way, slow down and straighten the steering wheel.
- Continue backing up until the rear of the vehicle is near the curb.
- Quickly but smoothly turn your steering wheel towrds the road to take your front end in and parallel to the curb. As you do this, make sure the front bumper has cleared the vehicle in front of you. Also keep an eye on the vehicle behind you.
- Brake once your vehicle occupies the middle of the parking space. If necessary, shift in first and move your vehicle to the middle of the parking space, ensuring both the front and the rear vehicles have sufficient space for exiting the parking.
Tip: It sounds tricky for a beginner, but when parking it's better to use the mirrors rather than turning your head around. This way it's less likely to miss an obstacle on the other side. Another advantage of mirror parking is better coordination, as you see exactly where your car is going, thus allowing for closer and more precise parking. It is generally considered to be rude, if not illegal, to not leave sufficient space for neighbouring vehicles to steer out of the parallel parking line, to park too far from the curb, or to leave too much space between you and the neighboring vehicles.
Unless the car's front and back are shaped in an arc that matches the pivoting arc around the back wheel it is unlikely that a car can be parked within 0.3 m (one foot) of the vehicle length. Turning the wheel all the way to lock after lining up your vehicle can enable you to park in a smaller space when aligned with the vehicle in front at the same spot. The optimal alignment with the front vehicle will vary with the distance between your vehicle and the front vehicle. The farther away, the farther forward you can go.
The optimal angle to the parking spot will vary with how long your car is, how far it is between your back bumper and back tire, and how far you start from the curb when it is parallel to the curb. This angle varies between 30 and 45 degrees. Without reference points it is very difficult to estimate an angle within 5 degrees. After getting the back tire close enough with the angle and straight, the car is brought back to parallel by two basic adjustment steps. They are backing to the curb by turning away from the curb. If the back tire touches or is too close the tire is turned toward the curb when going forward.
[edit] EZ-Park
In 2003, Lexus introduced a technology to assist drivers in parallel parking their Toyota Prius hybrid car. Recently, the technology was offered in select luxury Lexus models in the United States under the trade name "EZ-Park." The technology, officially called the Advanced Parking Guidance System, was advertised on its commercials depicting a driver backing into two stacks of champagne glasses without knocking them down.
