How to Determine if the Car Body is Straight When Reversing into a Parking Space?
2 Answers
When reversing into a parking space, you can determine whether the car body is straightened by observing the rearview mirrors. When the rear of the car has already entered the garage, but the front part has not yet entered, observe whether the midpoint of the car's rear aligns with the midpoint at the bottom of the garage.
As a new driver who just got my license last year, aligning the car body during reverse parking was a major challenge. At first, I always ended up crooked and couldn’t get into the parking space properly. Later, I figured out that it all comes down to the rearview mirrors: keep an eye on both left and right mirrors to see if the lines on either side of the car’s rear are parallel to the parking space lines. If the distances on both sides are roughly equal, the car body is basically aligned. Additionally, I’ve developed a habit of glancing at the alignment between the car’s side and the corner of the parking space wall—if the corner is centered in the window, it means the car is perpendicular. Don’t rush the reversing; going slower makes it easier to observe. Another mistake I often made was turning the steering wheel too sharply, causing misalignment. Now, whenever I notice the lines tilting, I make slight adjustments to the steering. With more practice, it’s gotten much better. I’d advise beginners to start with an empty parking space and not be afraid of making mistakes.
