Parking lessons · Let the curb hold the car
Parking on a hill
Which way to turn the front wheels, with and without a curb, so a rolling car goes nowhere dangerous.
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Step 1 of 4
Facing downhill, with a curb
Turn the front wheels into the curb, toward the side of the road.
From: California DMV, California Driver's Handbook: Parking; New York State DMV, Drivers Manual, Chapter 7: Parallel Parking
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Step 2 of 4
Facing uphill, with a curb
Turn the front wheels away from the curb, then let the car roll back a few inches until the front wheel gently rests against the curb.
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Step 3 of 4
No curb, uphill or down
Turn the wheels toward the edge of the road, so that if the brakes failed the car would roll away from the middle of the road.
From: California DMV, California Driver's Handbook: Parking; New York State DMV, Drivers Manual, Chapter 7: Parallel Parking
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Step 4 of 4
Every time
Set the parking brake and leave an automatic in Park (a manual in gear). The wheels are the back-up, not the plan.
From: California DMV, California Driver's Handbook: Parking; New York State DMV, Drivers Manual, Chapter 7: Parallel Parking
Practice it
Try it first in an empty lot with cones, with a licensed adult beside you. Work out the cone spacing for your car, then rate it on your next logged drive.
Lessons are written in Park Weldon's own words from the manuals cited on each step (fetched October 2026). Rules differ between states and change: your own state's driver manual wins.