Chapter 10
Turning and Parking
Turning
• Before you make a turn you should consider:
- Is there heavy traffic?
- Do signs prohibit a turn?
- Can I see clearly for 500 feet?
-Do I have enough space?
- Traffic and pedestrians
TURNING RIGHT
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Check the roadway ahead
Choose the correct lane
Signal your intentions
Position car near the right side of the lane “turning right –
keep it tight”
Wait for a 6-8 second gap in traffic to your left.
When your front wheels are even with the bend in the curve,
start turning (using push-pull-feed or hand over hand) and
follow the general curve of the curb.
Look through the turn along your intended path of travel.
Complete the turn by reversing your steering as you
accelerate.
Cancel your signal, if necessary.
TURNING LEFT
• Check the roadway ahead for vehicles, pedestrians, or other obstacles in
your intended path.
• Choose the correct lane
• Signal your intentions
• Position car near the left side of the lane .
• Wait for a 9 second gap to the right and a 7 second gap to your left..
• Proceed into the intersection until just prior to the centerpoint of the
intersection.
• Keep your wheels straight and yield to any oncoming traffic.
• Look through the turn along your intended path of travel. Turn into the
lane just to the right of the centerline “elbow on the yellow”
• Complete the turn by reversing your steering as you accelerate.
• Cancel your signal, if necessary.
Parking
DO NOT PARK:
- Within intersections
- On a crosswalk of sidewalk
- Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an uncontrolled intersection
- Within 30 feet of any flashing beacon, stop sign or traffic
signal
- In front of a driveway
- On any bridge or in a tunnel
- On the roadway side of any vehicle parked at the curb or
edge
of a highway (double parking)
- Beside a curb that is painted yellow, or where official signs
prohibit parking
ANGLE PARKING
On the right
• Stay 5-6 feet from the parked vehicles to give
yourself room to see and maneuver.
• Observe traffic in all directions and be alert for
vehicles leaving spaces.
• Signal your intentions.
• Proceed until you can see along the left side of
the vehicle to the right of your space.
Angle Parking
• Steer sharply right and creep ahead at 3-5
mph into the space midway between the lines
• Check the left front and right rear of your
vehicle to make sure you have clearance
• As you straighten the wheels, move forward
until the front of your vehicle is aligned with
those on both sides.
Perpendicular parking spaces are marked at a 90
degree angle to the curb. The steps are:
- Stay 7-8 feet from parked cars for best
visibility.
- Observe all traffic conditions, check for other
vehicles about to back out.
- Use proper turn signals.
Perpendicular Parking
• Slow to 3-5 mph. Start turning when you can
look down the side of the vehicle beside your
chosen space.
• Steer sharply and proceed slowly, checking for
clearance of your front bumper.
• As you move slowly forward, straighten the
wheels and center in your space.
• Stop just short of the curb or in line with the
other vehicles.
Parallel Parking
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Have a space at least 5 ft. longer than the length of
your vehicle
Check traffic, signal, and approach the parking space
in the proper lane.
Flash brake lights to alert following drivers of your
intention to stop.
Move parallel to the vehicle in front of the space,
leaving about 2 feet between vehicles.
Stop when the center door posts, or the backs of the
front seats of the vehicles are even.
Keep your foot on the brake, and shift to reverse.
Parallel Parking
• Back up, steering sharply to the right.
• Align the back of the front seat with the rear bumper of the
vehicle in front.
• Continue backing slowly, straightening your front wheels, until
your front bumper lines up with the rear bumper of the front
vehicle.
• Continue backing slowly, steering rapidly to the left.
• Stop before making contact with the bumper of the vehicle
behind the space.
• With foot on brake, shift to drive and even up car in space.
• Car should be within 12 inches of the curb.
Parking on Hills
• Uphill parking with a
curb
• Turn wheels sharply to
the left
• Let the vehicle creep
backward until the
back of the right front
wheel gently touches
the curb.
Parking on Hills
• Uphill parking with no
curb – turn wheels
sharply to the right.
• Downhill parking with a
curb – turn the wheels
sharply to the right. Let
the right front wheel rest
gently against the curb.
• Downhill no curb – turn
wheels to the right.
Two Point Turn
Back Into Driveway on Right Side
• Choose this turnabout if there is a clear driveway on
the right and the rear zones are clear.
• Check traffic to the rear and slow as you proceed
past the driveway.
• Stop about 3 feet from the curb and your rear
bumper is just beyond the driveway.
• Check traffic and back slowly into the driveway.
• Signal left, check traffic and when the path is clear
drive in the opposite direction.
Two Point Turn
Pull into Driveway on Left Side
• The disadvantage of this is you must back into traffic before
moving forward.
• Check traffic to the front and rear.
• Put on left turn signal and turn left into the driveway. Stay as
close as possible to the right side.
• Check traffic and back slowly to the right onto the roadway.
• Accelerate gently and check traffic as you drive forward.
• Pull into a Driveway on the Right – this is very high risk
because you must back across two lanes of traffic.
3 Point Turnabout
• When front wheels are almost to the curb
about 4 feet away, turn the wheel rapidly to
the right. Stop the vehicle just short of the
curb, again do not run off the roadway.
• Check traffic to your left, then over your right
shoulder. Shift to reverse, while backing
slowly, turn the wheel to the extreme right
position. About 4 feet before stopping, turn
the wheel to the left. Keep looking back until
stopped.
Three Point Turnabout/ K-Turn
• Check traffic and put on
right turn signal and come
to a stop as close to the
curb as possible.
• Left turn signal and turn
wheels all the way to the
left.
• Check Traffic and pull
across the road.
• Stop right before hitting
the curb.
• Turn the wheels all the
way to the right.
Three Point Turnabout/ K-Turn
• Back until the wheels are
halfway across the road.
• Put on left turn signal.
• Straighten the wheel and
move in the opposite
direction.
• Only use on dead end
streets or on rural
roadways with no
driveways.
Mid Block U-Turn
• Check traffic to the front
and rear, pull to the far
right and stop.
• Signal left, check traffic to
the front and back.
• Check blind spot then turn
wheels sharply left while
moving across roadway.
• Accelerate gently and
straighten the wheels
going in the opposite
direction.
Deciding Which Turnabout to
Use
• Legality of turnabout
• Amount of traffic
• Types of driveways
available
• Ample space to enter
traffic
• Number of traffic lanes to
cross
• Backing into a driveway
on the right is the safest
because you enter traffic
forward.