How to Steer the Wheel When Reversing into a Parking Space?
4 Answers
The steps for steering the wheel when reversing into a parking space are: 1. If entering from the left, steer the wheel to the left in advance. If the left side is narrow, delay steering to the left; 2. If entering from the right, delay steering to the right. If the left side is narrow, steer to the right in advance; 3. Park the car next to the parking line and align the left rearview mirror with the left line of the parking space; 4. Turn the wheel fully to the right. When the car body forms a suitable angle with the parking space, stop the car; 5. Straighten the wheels and reverse slowly. Reversing into a parking space is a key assessment point in the driver's test, mainly evaluating the driver's ability to maneuver the car in a confined space.
Backing into a parking space takes practice. When I first got my license, I was all thumbs too. The key is learning to adjust the steering wheel by watching the rearview mirrors—steer toward the side where the rear is drifting. For example, if the parking space is on the right, first turn the steering wheel all the way to the right while reversing, then quickly straighten it to the left when the corner of the space appears in the left mirror. Once the car body is parallel to the parking lines, straighten the wheel immediately, ensuring the distances on both sides look even in the mirrors. If the car isn’t straight, don’t panic—just remember to slightly adjust the wheel toward the wider side. Beginners should roll down the window to check the tire position for better visibility; with practice, mirrors alone will suffice. Always start slow—it’s better to oversteer by half a turn than to understeer.
When practicing reverse parking, my instructor always says 'steer the wheel according to your butt movement'. Taking right-side reverse parking as an example: shift into reverse gear, first turn the steering wheel one and a half turns to the right until it stops, and observe the distance between the car body and the corner of the parking space in the right rearview mirror—two fingers' width is the safest. If you're about to cross the line, quickly steer left to correct, then steer right again once the rear of the car enters the parking space. When the car body is parallel to the parking space line, immediately straighten the steering wheel. In the final stage, if the car is generally leaning left, steer slightly right; if leaning right, steer slightly left. Remember the mantra 'steer toward the wider side'—if the gap is larger on one side in the rearview mirror, turn the steering wheel slightly toward that side by half a turn, then straighten it immediately after adjustment. After practicing five or six times, you'll get the hang of it.
Steering during reverse parking must be coordinated with the vehicle speed to be effective. The steering operation is divided into three stages: Initially, turn the wheel decisively and don't hesitate when you see the reference point. I usually turn the wheel immediately when the lower edge of the side mirror covers the parking line. Midway adjustments should be delicate—observe the changing distance between the car body and the corner of the parking space through the side mirror. If the distance is greater than 30 cm, continue reversing; if it's less than 30 cm, straighten the wheel. Final corrections must be precise—if the left side is too wide after the car body is parallel, turn the wheel 90 degrees to the right, then straighten it after the front of the car moves right. Maintain clutch control throughout the process, and remember to release the steering wheel after turning instead of holding onto it. Practice several times to develop muscle memory.
