Top 10 DMV Questions – Parking on a Hill

2 out of 3 Don’t Know How To Park on a Hill

If you live in a place like San Francisco, parking on a hill is probably part of your daily routine. If you don’t, parking on hills can be confusing. You are probably one of many drivers who don’t know (and never learned) how to park correctly on a grade. Questions about parking on a hill are a common pitfall on many written knowledge tests.

First of all, parking on a hill or a grade is not illegal. You must, of course, ensure that your vehicle is not a hazard when parked. Whenever you park, be sure it is far enough from any travel lane to avoid interfering with traffic, and it must be visible to vehicles approaching from either direction.

The General Rule

The general rule is to turn the front wheels to the right side, which means you must turn the wheels to the side of the road and away from the travel lane.

This always applies when you park downhill. It doesn’t matter if there is a curb or not. If your car starts rolling, it will move off the road and not into traffic.

This also applies when you park uphill, and there isn’t a curb. If your car starts rolling, there is no curb to stop it, and it will simply move beyond the edge and off the roadway.

The only time the front wheels should be turned the other way is when you park uphill, and there is a curb.

When parking uphill with a curb, turn the wheels to the left and away from the curb. If you let your car roll back just a few inches, the back of your front wheel will hit the curb. That will stop your car from going any further. The curb will act as a second parking brake.

The illustration is taken from the California Driver Handbook.

Other Important Reminders

Whenever you park your car, you must stop your engine and set your parking brake. Leave the vehicle in gear if it has a manual transmission or in park if it has an automatic transmission.

Before getting out, remove the keys. Never leave the ignition keys in a parked vehicle; lock your doors when you leave.