Is the left side wide due to turning too early or too late when reversing into the right parking space?
3 Answers
Left side being wide is due to turning too early. Here are the precautions for reversing into a parking space: 1. Learn to adjust the seat: After getting in the car, hold the steering wheel lightly with both hands, press the clutch pedal all the way down with your left foot, and turn the steering wheel easily with both hands. After adjustment, use your fist to check the distance between your abdomen and the steering wheel. Generally, thin people should have a two-fist distance, while larger people should have a one-fist distance. 3. Learn to observe the rearview mirrors: It's best to observe while the car is stationary, checking from the mirrors whether the distance between the car body and the marked lines is parallel. 4. Adjust the distance between the car body and the side line: Before entering the parking space, the distance between the car body and the roadside line should be between 1.5 meters to 2 meters. If the distance is too small, turning the steering wheel fully when entering the parking space can easily cause the front of the car to go out of line; if the distance is too large, it may be difficult to enter the parking space, or even impossible. 5. Control the speed: Learn to use the clutch pedal to control the speed. If the speed is too fast, press the clutch pedal to reduce it; if the car is about to stop, release the pedal slightly.
When I first learned to reverse, I always made this mistake. When backing into the right parking space, there was a huge gap on the left side, which made me really nervous. After practicing more, I realized it was definitely because I turned the steering wheel too early. Turning early causes the rear of the car to swing left prematurely, making the front of the car veer to the right, and the whole car moves farther away from the left boundary. You should start turning the wheel a bit later or adjust your timing by checking the position of the rear wheels in the mirror. I remember during my driving test, I lost points because the left side was too wide, but thanks to my instructor's advice, I corrected it. Actually, reversing just takes practice to get the feel—once you find the right reference point, you can consistently park smoothly without the left side being too wide.
Reverse parking is a skill that involves counterintuitive steering wheel operations. When reversing to the right, if the left side is too wide, it usually means you turned the wheel too early. Turning early causes the rear to swing left immediately while the front hasn't adjusted properly, resulting in excessive left-side clearance. I recommend observing the distance between your car body and the parking lines in the side mirrors more carefully, and slightly delay your steering input for correction. The principle is that early steering causes excessive deviation due to the lever effect of the steering wheel. Novice drivers often make this mistake - understanding this makes reverse parking much easier. Practice adjusting your reference points a few times and you'll naturally adapt, so stop rushing your steering inputs.
