Downhill parking

How to drive it

40 km/h neighbourhood street, 8% downhill: park at the right curb with the wheels turned toward it; back up a little before leaving.

1. ① Pulling over: right signal, right mirror, right shoulder check
   Signal right early, check your right mirror and do a right shoulder check to make sure there are no cyclists or cars behind on the right, then move smoothly toward the curb, watching the right mirror as you go.
2. ② In the right mirror, the car and the curb run parallel
   As you close in, the side of the car and the curb converge at an angle in the mirror; once the car is straight, the two lines run parallel. When you stop, a good reference is 10–15 cm between the tires and the curb.
3. ③ Downhill: wheel all the way right, roll forward until the tire touches the curb
   Remember "uphill left, downhill right": downhill, curb or no curb, turn the wheel all the way to the right, shift into N, ease off the brake and let the car roll forward very slowly; brake as soon as the front of the right front tire touches the curb, then shift into P and set the park brake. If the car ever rolls, the curb stops the front wheel.
4. ④ Back up before leaving: R, 360° check, straighten as you go
   With the tire against the curb and the wheels turned right, shifting into D and driving forward would scrape the curb. Shift into R first, do a 360° check, release the park brake and back up slowly about 1 m, straightening the wheels as you go so the tire comes off the curb.
5. ⑤ Moving off: D, left signal, left mirror, wheel all the way left, left shoulder check
   While stopped, shift into D, signal left, check your left mirror, turn the wheel all the way to the left, and do a left shoulder check last before moving off; pull smoothly into the lane, straighten the wheels, then turn off the signal.

Related scenarios

• Parallel parkingPark behind the car ahead: back into the spot, leave in one go
• Uphill parkingPark at the right curb uphill: turn the wheels and roll back against the curb