What is the difference between turning early and late in parallel parking?
2 Answers
The difference between turning early and late in parallel parking is that turning early results in a very narrow right-side margin, while turning late makes the left side narrow. Below is a related introduction to steering during parallel parking: When reversing: Turn the steering wheel fully to the right when the corner of the parking space disappears in the right rearview mirror. When seeing the right rear corner of the parking space: Straighten the steering wheel when the right rear corner of the parking space becomes visible in the left rearview mirror. When the left rear wheel just touches the line: Turn the steering wheel fully to the left when the left rear wheel just touches the line. When exiting the parking space: Slowly turn the steering wheel to the right when the left rear wheel crosses the line during exit. When the car body is parallel to the roadside line: Straighten the steering wheel when the car body is parallel to the roadside line to pass smoothly.
Having driven for decades, I still remember how I used to mess up parallel parking when I was young. Turning the steering wheel too early would cause the car to jerk sharply, risking scraping the curb or bumping the front car’s bumper—startling you and leaving you with repairs. Turn too late, and the car ends up parked too far from the curb, looking crooked, forcing you to adjust multiple times to straighten it—super annoying. My advice for beginners: pay close attention to the rearview mirror and rear window angle, approach the target spot slowly, and avoid sharp turns. Practice is key—find an empty spot and repeat the maneuver a dozen times until you naturally find that sweet spot for turning the wheel, saving yourself the hassle. Driving is all about practice making perfect—nowadays, I never worry about misalignment or scratches when parking.
