Parking on an incline requires precautions to ensure a vehicle remains stationary. This safety measure, standard in driving education, involves intentionally misaligning the front wheels. The technique uses the road’s physical features, such as a curb or shoulder, as a secondary stopping mechanism if the vehicle’s primary braking system fails. Correct wheel positioning prevents a parked car from rolling into traffic or down a steep hill.
Turning Wheels Uphill Against a Curb
When parking uphill on a street with a curb, the procedure uses the curb as a solid physical block. The front wheels must be turned sharply to the left, away from the curb, pointing the tires toward the street center. This positioning primes the vehicle to be stopped by the curb if it begins to roll backward.
The driver should then allow the vehicle to roll back slowly until the rear side of the front tire gently contacts the curb. This action lodges the tire against the curb, creating a mechanical stop. If the parking brake or transmission fails, the vehicle’s weight pressing the tire against the curb prevents further downhill movement. This angle ensures the wheel cannot roll over the curb and into the street.
This technique is often described as “wheels away from the curb when facing uphill.” The curb must be a full, vertical structure to provide a substantial stopping surface for the tire. A low, rounded, or broken curb may not offer the necessary resistance to stop a rolling vehicle. The contact point between the tire and the curb is the final line of defense against an uncontrolled roll.
Uphill Parking Without a Curb and Essential Steps
When parking uphill on a road without a curb, the goal shifts from blocking movement to directing it away from the roadway. In the absence of a physical barrier, the wheels must be turned sharply to the right, toward the edge of the road or shoulder. This positioning causes the front wheels to point toward the side of the road.
If the vehicle begins to roll backward down the incline, the wheels, turned to the right, will steer the car toward the side of the road. This ensures the vehicle moves off the main traveled portion of the pavement and into the ditch, shoulder, or bank, keeping it out of the flow of traffic. The principle is to minimize collision risk by directing momentum away from motorists and pedestrians.
Beyond correct wheel positioning, two essential steps must be completed for all hill parking scenarios to secure the vehicle. The parking brake, which acts on the rear wheels independently of the main hydraulic brake system, must be engaged firmly. Engaging the parking brake first takes the strain of holding the vehicle’s weight off the transmission components.
The transmission should also be placed in a gear that opposes the direction of a potential roll. When parking uphill, automatic transmissions must be shifted into Park, which mechanically locks the output shaft. For manual transmission vehicles, the car should be left in first gear. This uses the engine’s compression and gearing resistance to provide a final mechanical safeguard against rolling backward.