Regardless of how long you’ve been driving, it never hurts to reexamine some of your methods and habits. Parallel Parking is one of the most difficult things to do as a driver. In fact, some drivers find it so difficult that they avoid it at all costs. You might have your own methods, but are they the best methods? Here are the rules and steps to follow when parallel parking so you can tweak your own habits or learn how to parallel park yourself.
Use your turn signal. The first thing any parallel parker must do is turn their turn signal on as son as they are alongside the car in front of the available parking space. This alerts the drivers behind you as to what you are doing.
Check your positioning. Before you start to back into the spot, make sure you are about two feet away from the car next to you and your back bumpers are lined up.
Back up slowly. Only professionals can do this quickly, so don’t be in a rush. As you start backing up, turn the steering wheel as far as it will go towards the curb.
Straighten out. When your car door is even with the adjacent car’s bumper, start turning your wheel back to its original position. Do this while you’re slowly backing up the entire time.
Center yourself. Once you get into the space, carefully center yourself between the car in front of you and behind you. There should be at least six inches of space on either end.
This is just a little tip from your local Mercedes-Benz dealer. We want you to have the full driving experience and help you get over any fear you have of parallel parking. For more instruction on this topic, you can view a video here.
With more and more people living into their 80s and 90s, there is a growing concern of having senior citizens behind the wheel of a car. This age group is often the most misunderstood group and sometimes they are unjustly criticized. That’s why I’d like to dedicate the next few posts to them and discuss some of the issues that senior drivers endure each day.