Is stopping less than 50 cm on the ramp considered stopping too early?
3 Answers
No, stopping less than 50 cm on the ramp is within the required range, neither too early nor too late. Below is relevant information about the ramp stopping point in Subject 2 of the driving test: 1. First method: If the car is a new Santana, new Jetta, or new Skoda, there is a 'w' mark at the lower right corner of the front windshield. When sitting in the driver's seat, stop when the 'w' mark aligns with the pole at the start of the ramp. This is the 100-point stopping position for the ramp. 2. Second method: If the car model is not one of the three mentioned above, use the lower edge of the left rearview mirror as a reference. Stop when the lower edge of the left rearview mirror is parallel to the upper edge of the second yellow line on the ground. This is also the 100-point stopping position for the ramp.
In the slope parking test at driving school, a 50cm margin is the threshold; less than 50cm means the parking is within tolerance and generally acceptable. However, stopping slightly earlier may indeed mean you've stopped too soon. With years of teaching experience, my standard is that the car must stop near the yellow line, with an error margin under 50cm to pass. But stopping too early can easily cause the car to roll back. For safety, it's advisable to brake smoothly at the mid-point of the slope and use the rearview mirror to gauge the stopping position during practice, which can help control the margin to around 30cm. Nervousness during the test may lead to positional deviations, so it's recommended to familiarize yourself with the clutch feel beforehand and practice a few more times. In reality, stopping a bit early isn't a major issue as long as it's within the allowed range and doesn't incur penalties. In daily driving, when stopping on a slope, always pay attention to the distance from vehicles in front and behind to avoid rear-end collisions.
I took the hill parking test and had a 42 cm deviation. The examiner said I passed but was slightly too far forward. In safe driving, stopping early might reduce the risk of rolling back since gravity pulls the car backward, but the test requires the deviation not to exceed 50 cm. With 20 years of driving experience, I believe the key is steady speed control—lightly press the brake when going uphill and slowly stop at the reference point. If the position is less than 50 cm and too far forward, it does count as stopping early. However, in real-world scenarios, occasionally stopping a bit early isn’t a big deal. The focus should be on forming good habits, like applying the handbrake after hill parking to prevent accidents. Always observe road conditions instead of just focusing on the reference point, as this improves overall safety.
