What are the techniques for judging the extended line of the garage corner when reversing into the garage?
3 Answers
Techniques for judging the extended line of the garage corner when reversing into the garage: 1. Adjust the initial position before reversing: Before reversing, pull the car to a suitable position, observe the distance between the car body and the sideline, and whether the car body is aligned. An incorrect initial position will affect the subsequent reversing process. If the car starts reversing to the right from the initial position, being too far to the right may cause the right wheels to miss the garage, while being too far to the left may cause the front of the car to hit the left sideline during reversing. A proper initial position can significantly improve the success rate of reversing. 2. Maintain a distance of about 30cm between the car body and the garage corner: When the right rear wheel passes the garage corner and enters the garage, if the distance between the right rear wheel and the sideline is more than 30cm, the left rear corner of the car body may hit the infrared line in the test area. Imagine the three sidelines of the garage as walls; the left rear of the car has already hit the wall. Therefore, when reversing, observe the right rearview mirror to ensure the car body is about 30cm from the garage corner. 3. Slow down and adjust the car body: When half of the car body is in the garage and the steering wheel is straightened, adjust the car body if it is tilted. At this point, the front of the car is still outside. If the steering wheel is not adjusted and reversing continues, one side of the rear may easily cross the sideline. Observe through the rearview mirror the distance between the rear and the sideline, and steer toward the side with the larger distance. Therefore, slow down to make it easier to adjust the car body parallel to the sideline. 4. Brake cautiously: After adjusting the car body, pay attention to the front and rear positions when braking to ensure the car body is completely inside the garage. Braking too early may leave the front outside, while braking too late may cause the rear to cross the line. 5. Straighten the car body when exiting: After parking in the garage, if the car body is slightly tilted but does not touch the sensor line, it can still be considered a pass. However, when exiting, if the car body is not straightened and exits directly, the front wheels may easily press the line.
When I was learning reverse parking at driving school, the coach's method of using the extended line from the garage corner was a lifesaver. The specific steps are: adjust the rearview mirror before reversing to ensure a clear view of the garage corner's position. After shifting into reverse, slowly back up while keeping a close eye on the outline of the garage corner in the left rearview mirror, imagining a line extending toward the center of the parking space. If the extended line stays in the middle area of the mirror, it means the car is straight; if it leans toward the edge of the mirror, it indicates the car is deviating from the track, and I immediately make slight steering adjustments. During practice, I found the key is controlling the speed—keeping it under 5 km/h, as going too fast can easily lead to loss of control. Turning on the headlights in low light enhances visibility. After a few tries, I can now park in any spot within 10 seconds. Remember to check both mirrors to ensure the lines are symmetrical and avoid crossing the lines—this technique is simple, practical, and easy for beginners to master.
As the neighborhood uncle who often helps others with reverse parking, the garage corner extension line method has saved me a lot of worry. The steps are: after starting to reverse, keep an eye on the garage corner in the rearview mirror. The extension line in the mirror should roughly point to the middle of the parking space. If the line moves to the right, it means the car is deviating to the left, so I turn the steering wheel half a turn to the right to correct it; similarly, if it moves to the left, I adjust slightly to the left. Maintaining a steady reversing speed is key—going too fast can cause misalignment. I recommend practicing first with simulated props like plastic buckets and repeatedly training in a familiar garage. Common issues include blurred lines leading to misjudgment; in such cases, closing the windows to reduce noise and improve visibility helps. Don’t stress too much about perfection—just getting the car properly aligned is enough. This method suits all types of vehicles and, once habitual, eliminates parking anxiety and prevents scratches.
