BASIC MANEUVERS
THE FIRST THING TO DO WHEN MOVING
YOUR VEHICLE INTO TRAFFIC IS TO PLAN
YOUR MOVE.
 3 THINGS THAT ARE CRUCIAL FOR
MAKING YOUR MANEUVER INTO TRAFFIC.

1.
2.
3.
VISIBILITY
TIME
SPACE
MOVING INTO & OUT OF TRAFFIC
1. CHECK THE TRAFFIC AROUND YOU!
2. LOOK THROUGH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD
TO CHECK AHEAD.
3. CHECK YOUR REVIEW MIRROR,THEN THE
LEFT SIDE MIRROR
4. ONCE IT IS SAFE TO MOVE INTO TRAFFIC
SIGNAL YOUR INTENTIONS,
THEN MOVE LEFT INTO TRAFFIC.
5. LOOK OVER YOUR LEFT SHOULDER TO
CHECK FOR TRAFFIC IN YOUR BLIND SPOT.
MOVING INTO TRAFFIC FROM THE
CURB
6. STEER LEFT SHARPLY,TURNING ON
YOUR LEFT TURN SIGNAL, CLEARING ANY
PARKED CARS AND ENTER THE NEAREST
LANE OF TRAFFIC, ACCELERATING
MODERATELY.
7. WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR
MOVE, TURN OFF YOUR TURN SIGNAL.
MOVING INTO TRAFFIC FROM THE
CURB
1. LOOKING AHEAD DOWN THE STREET
TO LOCATE A PARKING SPACE – SIGNAL
YOUR INTENTIONS TO MOVE OUT OF
TRAFFIC AND LOOK INTO YOUR
REARVIEW MIRROR.
2. TAP YOUR BRAKES LIGHTLY,
SIGNALING DRIVERS BEHIND YOU THAT
YOU ARE GOING TO STOP.
3. APPLY YOUR BREAKS TO REDUCE
SPEED.
LEAVING TRAFFIC TO THE
CURB
4. STEER OUT OF THE TRAFFIC LANE TO
WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. USE A
REFERENCE POINT TO MAKE SURE YOU STOP
WITH YOUR VEHICLE OUT OF THE TRRAFFIC
LANE. USE YOUR BRAKES AS NEEDED TO
STOP THE VEHICLE.
5. MAKE SURE YOUR VEHICLE IS PARALLEL
TO THE EDGE OF THE CURB AND IS LEGALLY
PARKED.
6. TURN YOUR SIGNAL OFF. PUT THE VEHICLE
IN PARK, THEN PUT YOUR PARKING BRAKE
ON.
LEAVING TRAFFIC TO THE CURB
REASONS FOR CHANGING LANES:
A. TO MAKE A TURN
B. TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE
C. TO AVOID AN OBSTACLE IN THE
ROAD
LANE CHANGING
1. CHECK YOUR MIRRORS
REARVIEW MIRROR
THEN YOUR SIDE MIRROR
2. SIGNAL YOUR INTENTIONS TO
MOVE RIGHT OR LEFT. LEAVE
YOUR SIGNAL ON WHILE MAKING
THE LANE CHANGE.
A. DO NOT JUST FLICK YOUR SIGNAL
ON SO IT FLASHES ONCE OR TWICE
LANE CHANGING
3. CHECK YOUR “BLIND SPOT” BY
LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER IN THE
DIRECTION OF THE LANE CHANGE.
SIGNAL THAT YOU WANT TO MOVE LEFT
OR RIGHT.
THE BLIND SPOTS
ARE IN THE LEFT REAR
AND RIGHT REAR
CORNERS OF THE
VEHICLE.
LANE CHANGING
4. CHECK AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THE
WAY IS CLEAR AND THAT NO ONE IS
COMING TOO FAST FROM BEHIND OR
FROM TWO LANE OVER ON A MULTI-LANE
ROAD.
5. STEER GRADUALLY INTO THE NEW
LANE. DO NOT SLOW DOWN – MAINTAIN
THE SAME SPEED OR GENTLY INCREASE
YOUR SPEED.
LANE CHANGING
LANE CHANGING
PARKING
UPHILL
DOWNHILL
ANGLE
PERPENDICULAR
MOVING TO THE CURB
1. SIGNAL YOUR INTENTIONS (100 FT)
BEFORE GETTING TO THE CURB.
2. SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND MOVE THE
VEHICLE OVER TO THE CURB. (GET AS CLOSE
TO THE CURB AS POSSIBLE). BRING THE CAR TO
ITS NORMAL PARALLEL PARKED
POSITION.
UP HILL PARKING
3. PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND PUT
THE PARKING BRAKE ON.
4. TURN THE FRONT WHEELS TO
THE LEFT.
UP HILL
WHEELS –
AWAY FROM
THE CURB
UP HILL PARKING
MOVING TO THE CURB
1. SIGNAL YOUR INTENTIONS (100 FT)
BEFORE GETTING TO THE CURB.
2. SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND MOVE THE
VEHICLE OVER TO THE CURB. (GET AS CLOSE
TO THE CURB AS POSSIBLE). BRING THE CAR TO
ITS NORMAL PARALLEL PARKED
POSITION.
DOWN HILL PARKING
3. PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND PUT
THE PARKING BRAKE ON.
4. TURN THE WHEELS
DOWN INTO THE
CURB.
DOWN AND INTO
THE CURB.
DOWN HILL PARKING

ENTERING THE PARKING SPACE:
1.
WHEN LOOKING FOR AN ANGLED PARKING
SPACE, STAY 5 TO 6 FEET AWAY FROM THE
PARKED CARS SO THAT YOU CAN SEE AS MUCH
AS POSSIBLE AND HAVE THE MOST SPACE
AVAILABLE FOR MANEUVERING.
2.
AS SOON AS YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED A PARKING
SPACE TURN ON YOUR TURN SIGNAL.
ANGLE PARKING
3. DRIVE FORWARD UNTIL YOU CAN SEE ALONG
THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR TO YOUR RIGHT OF
THE SPACE YOU WANT TO ENTER.
4. QUICKLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL ALL THE
WAY TO THE RIGHT. CREEP AHEAD AT 3 TO 5
MPH INTO THE LINES. YOUR FOOT SHOULD BE
RIDING THE BRAKE AS YOU ENTER. CHECK THE
LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT REAR TO MAKE SURE
THERE IS ENOUGH CLEARANCE.
ANGLE PARKING
5. AS YOU STRAIGHTEN THE WHEELS, MOVE UP
UNTIL THE FRONT OF YOUR VEHICLE IS
ALIGNED WITH THOSE BESIDE IT.
5 TO 6 FEET
ANGLE PARKING

EXITING FROM ANGLE PARKING SPACE:
1.
WITH YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL,
SHIFT INTO REVERSE.
2.
MOVE BACK SLOWLY WITH YOUR WHEELS
STRAIGHT, LOOKING TO YOUR LEFT AND
OVER YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER. KEEP
CHECKING THE AND SIDES FOR OTHER
VEHICLES AND OBSTACLES. YIELD THE
RIGHT OF WAY TO ANY AND ALL OTHER
TRAFFIC.
ANGLE PARKING
3.
TURN THE STEERING WHEEL SHARPLY TO
LEFT OR RIGHT WHEN THE FRONT OF THE
VEHICLE CLEARS THE REAR OF THE CAR.
4.
AS THE CAR ENTERS THE TRAFFIC LANE,
QUICKLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IN
THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO STRAIGHTEN
THE FRONT WHEELS.
SAFETY POINT: MAKE SURE YOU KEEP
LOOKING OUT OF THE BACK WINDOW
UNTIL YOUR CAR HAS COME TO A
COMPLETE STOP!
ANGLE PARKING
5. SHIFT INTO DRIVE AND ACCELERATE
INTO THE TRAFFIC FLOW.
ANGLE PARKING

1. STAY 7 TO 8 FEET FROM THE PARKED CARS
FOR THE BEST VISIBILITY. OBSERVE ALL
TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, AND CHECK FOR
VEHICLES ABOUT TO BACK OUT OF OTHER
SPACES.
PERPENDICULAR PARKING

2. WHEN YOU FIND AN EMPTY SPACE, TURN
YOUR LEFT SIGNAL ON.

3. When your front bumper lines up to the right
side of the car just to the left of the space, begin
to turn slowly (under five mph) and then sharply
into the space. Make sure to check for adequate
space on both sides of your car and keep aware
of the proximity of your right rear fender.
PERPENDICULAR PARKING

4. Straighten your wheels and pull
forward until you have come up to the
cement stop barrier or are at an even line
with the other parked cars.
Start your turn at the
opposite side of the vehicle
you are approaching from
PERPENDICULAR PARKING


EXITING THE PERPENDICULAR PARKING SPACE
IF YOU ARE BACKING OUT TO THE LEFT:

Back your vehicle straight out, your foot should
be on top of the brake, looking over your right
shoulder until the front of your vehicle is aligned
with the back window of the car to your right.

Then look over your left shoulder to check traffic,
slowly back your vehicle out of the space until
you are completely across the driving aisle.
PERPENDICULAR PARKING

EXITING TO THE RIGHT:

Back your vehicle straight out, your foot should be on
top of the brake, looking over your right shoulder
until the front of your vehicle is aligned with the back
bumper of the vehicle to your left.

Then turning the steering wheel sharply to your
right until the front of your vehicle has
completely cleared the rear bumper of the
vehicle on your left and you have enough
clearance to pull forward slowly ahead.
PERPENDICULAR PARKING

Parallel parking is usually done along the side of
city or residential streets. The space should be
approximately five feet longer than the length of
your car. Even with a larger space than
suggested, it still takes practice to become good
at parallel parking. Typical parallel spaces are
approximately 25 feet long.

Some steps to follow include:
PARALLEL PARKING
a. Signal your intention to turn (right signal).
b. Check the traffic around you and then brake until you
stop parallel with the car in front of the space. Make sure to
leave approximately three feet between your car and the
parked cars next to you.
PARALLEL PARKING
c. Shift your car into reverse and steer sharply towards the
curb or space you are entering. When the center of your car
(the door post area) is even with the rear bumper of the car
in front of the space, start to straighten your wheels until
your front bumper is lined up with the other car’s rear
bumper.
PARALLEL PARKING
d. Continue backing while turning your wheels to the left and
stop before hitting your wheels to the bumper of the car behind
the space.
PARALLEL PARKING
e. Drive forward slowly to center your car in the space. You
may need to move your car forward and then backwards
several times to correctly position in the space.
PARALLEL PARKING





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
Exiting a parallel parking space:
1. Back-up straight as far as you can go
without touching the car behind. (about 1
foot).
2. Turn your wheels all the way to the left.
Then make sure that you put your car in
drive.
3. Put on your turn signal. (left signal)
4. Check traffic, including your blind spot.
5. Make sure your right fender has enough
room to clear the car in front of you.
6. Turn wheels slowly to the right when you
are half-way out of the parking space.
PARALLEL PARKING