What is the correct way to park on an incline?

[Jaggu]

OT: he he dont park just drive around, enjoy the car (dont we all) while others do the chore, as in Bangalore traffic.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by harsha.cs1

Is it essential that I keep my handbrake in good shape?

Of course! Why would you not? It probably only needs an adjustment.

And how do you manage to start on a hill without it?

Ok, yes, there's technique for using the footbrake, but the handbrake makes it a lot easier.

[Proxima]

Both techniques ahould work well in an SUV where there is more distance between the bumper and the ground so that the car's body does not hit the curb.

However, in the case of cars, Samurai's technique will work better.

In really steep slopes, I think revharder's technique should work better bacause it will not skid as much as Samurais'.

[tsk1979]

Huh? Car body hits curb?? The parking methods are not for protecting car bodies, but for preventing accidents if the car rolls back
Visualize. Lets say you are parked on an incline, with front of the car upwards, and you turn your wheels towards the curb(left or right does not matter, towards the curb or away from the curb).
The car rolls back. What will happen?
The front of the car will come to the center of the road.
Now whats that got to do with the steep or unsteep slopes.
The method Samurai gave is used by driving manuals all over the world. If you don't follow that during your driving test, you fail the test.

[itwasntme]

Couldn't agree with you more TSK. My office colleague failed his UK driving test ONLY because he failed to follow the UK Highway Code as follows:

252

Parking on hills. If you park on a hill you should

• park close to the kerb and apply the handbrake firmly
• select a forward gear and turn your steering wheel away from the kerb when facing uphill
• select reverse gear and turn your steering wheel towards the kerb when facing downhill
• use ‘park’ if your car has an automatic gearbox

Link here: 238-252: Waiting and parking : Directgov - Travel and transport

I had always followed this rule and the same was reinforced when I took the UK DL test.

[spadival]

We are not talking about UK or any other country here. You will hardly find any roads in most places, much less kerbs or any such civilised stuff in India.

So, If you are particularly parnoid or if your hand brake does not work, the method outlined by gd below is the way to do it in a more practical sense. Unlike kerbs, there are plenty of rocks/bricks available in India. Use them, provided you remember to remove them and not leave them lying around on the road like those idiot truck drivers do .

Originally Posted by gd1418

Uphill:

Park on the extreme left side of the road and engage the 1st gear. Put two bricks diagonally across - one behind the front right tyre and the other behnd the left back tyre.

Downhill:

Park on the extreme left side of the road and engage the reverse gear. Put two bricks diagonally across - one in the front of the front left tyre and the other in the front of the right back tyre.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by spadival

We are not talking about UK or any other country here. You will hardly find any roads in most places, much less kerbs or any such civilised stuff in India.

We are talking about how to park on an incline where there is a curb.
On hilly roads, many times the "hillside" acts a a curb.

So, If you are particularly parnoid or if your hand brake does not work, the method outlined by gd below is the way to do it in a more practical sense. Unlike kerbs, there are plenty of rocks/bricks available in India. Use them, provided you remember to remove them and not leave them lying around on the road like those idiot truck drivers do .

Even then turn the wheels away from the "fall" if there is no curb. Most international driving manuals also tell which way wheels should be turned when there is no kerb available.
I have seen many roads in the west in the wilderness where is is no kerb.

[Samurai]

If one follows the worldwide standard for incline parking in roads where there is no curb/Kerb, the car will slide into the side of the road, or fall into the drain or bang into a fence or fall into the valley. In view of public safety, that is preferable to landing in the middle of the road blocking traffic and causing accidents.

But in India most people think about themselves and not about others. That is why people follow alternate techniques which are convenient to them but unsafe/inconvenient for general public.

Example:

• Parking in front of gates.
• Driving in the wrong side on roads with divider to save a U-turn trip.
• Protecting side mirrors by keeping them folded all the time.
• Turn into main roads without checking for traffic.
• Driving with high-beam all the time.

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by Samurai

If one follows the worldwide standard for incline parking in roads where there is no curb/Kerb, the car will slide into the side of the road, or fall into the drain or bang into a fence or fall into the valley. In view of public safety, that is preferable to landing in the middle of the road blocking traffic and causing accidents.

But in India most people think about themselves and not about others. That is why people follow alternate techniques which are convenient to them but unsafe/inconvenient for general public.

Example:

• Parking in front of gates.
• Driving in the wrong side on roads with divider to save a U-turn trip.
• Protecting side mirrors by keeping them folded all the time.
• Turn into main roads without checking for traffic.
• Driving with high-beam all the time.

Hi Samurai, from itwasntme's post it would appear that if the road has no kerb and you are facing uphill, if you park correctly and turn the wheel away from the side of the road, if it were to roll down, your car would turn all the way into the road and block traffic.

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Parking on hills. If you park on a hill you should

• park close to the kerb and apply the handbrake firmly
• select a forward gear and turn your steering wheel away from the kerb when facing uphill
• select reverse gear and turn your steering wheel towards the kerb when facing downhill
• use ‘park’ if your car has an automatic gearbox

Link here: 238-252: Waiting and parking : Directgov - Travel and transport

Therefore, on a road without a kerb, it would be safer for other traffic if facing uphill, you were to turn the steering wheel towards the side of the road.

About your other observations, everyone would fully agree. Its also no point trying to set a good example either. But I still can't get myself to park in front of gates or turn into main roads without checking for traffic.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by prabuddhadg

Hi Samurai, from itwasntme's post it would appear that if the road has no kerb and you are facing uphill, if you park correctly and turn the wheel away from the side of the road, if it were to roll down, your car would turn all the way into the road and block traffic.

Actually No. Visualise it again. It will go out of the road in case of no curb.

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Actually No. Visualise it again. It will go out of the road in case of no curb.

I did visualise. The road is uphill. You stop at the left side of the road, 6" from the kerb. Turn the steering wheel to the right (away from the kerb). So now if you drive away now, the car will turn to the right.

Now, say your hand brake slips and the car starts rolling down the slope, backwards. What happens? The front wheels which are pointing towards your right, roll backwards towards your left and hit the kerb 6" away and stop there. If there is no kerb, the left front wheel may fall into the ditch on the left or if there is no ditch, the car keeps rolling and the front wheels draw an arc and the rear wheels move away from the kerb until the car has moved across the road and is at a right angle to the incline.

On the other hand, if you had turned the steering wheel to the left (towards the kerb), if the car started rolling back, its rear wheels start moving towards the kerb while the front encroaches onto the road. If there is no kerb, the left rear wheel hits nothing and the car rolls into the ditch or wall on the left.

[spadival]

Originally Posted by prabuddhadg

Now, say your hand brake slips and the car starts rolling down the slope, backwards. What happens? The front wheels which are pointing towards your right, roll backwards towards your left and hit the kerb 6" away and stop there. If there is no kerb, the left front wheel may fall into the ditch on the left or if there is no ditch, the car keeps rolling and the front wheels draw an arc and the rear wheels move away from the kerb until the car has moved across the road and is at a right angle to the incline.

Full marks for explaining what you have visualised. This is exactly what I visualised too.

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by spadival

Full marks for explaining what you have visualised. This is exactly what I visualised too.

Thank you boss. Not getting any work done today. Spending time dreaming and visualising.

[gd1418]

You are right Samurai. That's the way I too was taught when learning driving way back in 1976..

Originally Posted by Samurai

Sorry Dude, it is you who has to recheck. I remember the lessons well from my 1993 NJ driving test, in fact I had to frequently use it.

Read this: How To Park on a Hill | eHow.com

If you are not yet convinced, let me explain.

Say we follow your method where the wheels are turned towards curb in both cases. It is fine in the case of decline. If the brake or gear slip, it will just hit the curb and stop. However, in the case of incline, the car will make 90 degree turn and stop perpendicular to the road. But if the wheels are away from the curb on the incline, in case of a slip the wheels will hit the curb immediately and stop.

[gd1418]

@revharder: When you park a vehicle, you always try to park as close to the curb or extreme left as possible. That's the way it is done the worldover. Why would anyone park 2-3 feet away? It would affect the traffic flow as well..isn't it?

Originally Posted by revharder

lol, instead of searching the internet for your support, just try my style once.
i accepted your style too and i've clarified it in my last reply.

now i won't repeat that my style is also okay
you just try it once.

and if possible try to go through my last reply once again and try to understand my point of view.

and imho, it is a bad practice to just follow the artciles written and not using your own style.

lastly, i want you to try my style just once. i guess there is no harm in trying it when you are sitting inside the car, unless you are quite a newbie.
and while comparing my style with your published style try parking the car about 2-3 feets away from the curb/wall.

i tried using your style in my office while parking my car about 2-3 feets away from curb and it didn't worked! but when i tried it about 6-7 inches away from curb, your style worked perfectly. no doubt a good way of parking.

and in my style you can park even much more away from curb but still the car will not come in the middle of road. at the most any one end of the car will hit the object above curb like some wall, or signboard etc. you can call my style as a raw indigenous way of parking, but it does works!

i hope after such a trial you will accept my style too.
try it once.