How to park a car in a parking lot: A simple guide for beginners

Driving lessons are in Stratford, but you won't understand or master everything within a few hours. Things like parking a vehicle require more practice. Discover different ways of parking a car from this post.

In most countries across the globe, people use reverse parking, parallel parking(side parking), and front bay parking styles. There are more ways of parking, like angle parking and perpendicular parking, but we will learn three common parking styles for beginners.

How do I park my car for the first time?

This article teaches you how to reverse, parallel park (side park), and front bay park. We have embedded TikTok videos in this post to show you how this is done. Please watch them for earlier learning.

How to reverse park between two cars?

If you find a parking space, but there are two cars, one on the left and another on the right, follow these steps to reverse park your vehicle: 

• Drive along the parallel lines of the parking space.
• When the left rearview mirror aligns with the corners of the target parking space, turn the steering wheel to the right.
• Drive until you see the corner of the target parking space in the left rearview mirror.
• Turn the steering wheel to the left and back up the car.
• The car will quickly pull up into the parking space without problems.
• Our car's ears will align with the ears of the vehicles next to it.

@lianggeshuoche Simple and practical parking tips!#learnontiktok#howto#goodpoint#cartok#car#automotive#driving#outside#skills#knowledge#fpy#fyp#drivingtips#tips ♬ 原聲 - 亮哥说车

Forward bay parking reference points

Most car users prefer reverse to forward bay parking because the former is more accessible. You should, however, learn both methods because you never know when you will need to change or forward the park. Below is an easy guide for forward bay parking to the left: 

• Stay more to the left and keep the steering wheel straight until you find the reference you want to get into.
• The first line of the chosen bay should align with the middle of the driver's window, and the second line should be behind the door's mirror.
• Full-lock the steering wheel and check for a blind spot.
• Drive the car towards the bay until the vehicle goes straight into the middle of the bay.
• Bring the steering back to the normal position and move until the front line of the bay reaches the door's mirror.

TikTok Video: How to forward bay park

How to parallel park between two cars

Some places will require you to use the parallel parking style. Here is how to parallel park between two cars: 

• Drive parallel to the parking lot until the driver's rearview mirror is aligned with the vehicle in front of the reference you want to get into.
• Reverse until you see the vehicle's headlights in the left rearview mirror behind you.
• Turn the steering wheel straight and keep reversing until your left rear wheel is almost pressed to the line.
• Reverse the car until it is parked smoothly and straight into the reference.

TikTok Video: How to parallel bay park

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Essential tips for parking a car

It would be best to correctly judge the distance between vehicles to avoid hitting your car on objects or other vehicles. Here are the tips: 

• There is a curb in front of you when parking. Keep an eye on the rearview mirror. When the rearview mirror's lower edge coincides with the curb's lower edge, step on the brakes immediately because your car is only 30 cm away from the curb. 
• When a curb is ahead of you, but you need to turn a corner, keep an eye on the car's front hood. When the front hood coincides with the upper edge of the curb, your vehicle is about 3 meters away from the curb. Therefore, you can turn the corner safely in any direction. 
• If a car is in front of you when turning a corner, ensure that your front hood only reaches half of the vehicle's front tire. You will be able to pass safely in all directions. 
• Check the knuckles of the wiper when parking on the sidelines. When the knuckles of the wiper coincide with the curb, slowly turn the steering wheel to move the car into the reference. The distance is about 30 cm between your vehicle and the side curb. 
• When a car is in front of you, doing the parallel parking style, ensure your car's front hood is not over the rear bumper of the vehicle in front of you. The distance between both cars is one meter. 
• When you leave the warehouse, you only need to turn the steering wheel entirely to get out safely. 
• When the driver's shoulder exceeds the obstacle next to the car, the driver can safely turn the vehicle in any direction.

TikTok Video: Tips for Parking a car

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Conclusion 

Most driving learners find some aspects of driving or parking a vehicle difficult. Practice makes perfect, and you must start small before becoming a pro.