There are many distinct aspects of driving that teens and adults are expected to know. One of those aspects is parallel parking. Irvine students can practice parallel parking in Irvine before taking their driving test. Varsity Driving School can help students perfect that skill.
Parallel Parking in Irvine CA – Tips to Know
Parallel parking in Irvine is a fantastic way to practice and perfect the driving skills for when drivers visit bigger cities. Parallel parking has become one of the most feared aspects of a driving test. In fact, it has become so infamous that some DMV test givers may not even test the student on it. There are a few things that factor into that fear, but stress is the biggest one.
People worry about holding up traffic behind them, hitting the car in front of them, behind them, or even the curb. Then there is the idea that you try to get between the cars only to find that you are too far from the curb. But parallel parking is far easier than most think and an especially important driving skill.
Parallel Parking in Irvine
Learning how to parallel park means practicing as often as possible. Irvine is a medium-sized city in Orange County, but there are far more suburban areas than busy city areas. Students can still practice often; in fact, this means students can practice more safely.
The goal should be to use some sort of markers in place of cars, but traffic cones work best. Simply place a cone where the front car’s bumper would be and the other in place of the front end behind the spot. The reason for this will become clear later.
Judging the Spot Size
One thing people worry about when parallel parking in Irvine or in any part of the country is the size. There is the size of the spot and the size of your car need to be taken into consideration. That means you will need to practice in the car you plan on driving most often.
This will help you get comfortable with judging the size of the spots you find. It is important to remember that just because a spot would fit your car, that doesn’t mean it is the right size. You will want to pick spots that are the size of your car plus half for maneuverability.
Defensive Parallel Parking
Parallel Parking in Irvine is relatively easy since it is mostly done in the suburbs. However, there are some parts of the country where parallel parking can be dangerous. That is why it is important to utilize defensive driving techniques while parallel parking. Defensive driving is a driving technique that can be employed in many different ways to ensure you remain as safe as possible while driving.
You will want to slowly come to a stop next to the parking spot you want to take and then turn on your right-hand blinker. This will let the cars behind you know that you plan on parking there, and they will need to wait until you complete your parking. You should also check your mirrors multiple times before reversing so that you can ensure the coast is clear.
Parallel Parking in Irvine Tips
How do you parallel park? First, find a spot that will fit your car, and then slowly come to a stop next to the car you plan to park behind. Turn on your blinker and check your mirrors twice to ensure the coast is clear. Now, line up the bumper of the car you’re parking behind with the center of your car.
Put your car in reverse and sharply turn the wheel so the back of your car is headed towards the curb. Be sure to check your driver-side mirror repeatedly. You will know it is time to turn your wheel the other way once you can see the headlights of the car parked behind you in that mirror.
Then put your car in drive and drive forward to straighten out your car. You can also continue to adjust for the perfect parallel parking job.