What is the difference between turning the steering wheel too early or too late in parallel parking?
2 Answers
If the steering wheel is turned too early, the vehicle will be too close to the corner of the parking space, potentially causing a collision with the vehicle in front. If turned too late, the vehicle will be too far from the corner, risking a collision with the vehicle behind. Below is relevant information: 1. Subject 2: Also known as the small road test, it is part of the motor vehicle driver's license assessment and refers to the field driving skill test. 2. Test items: For license types C1 and C2, the test includes five mandatory items: reversing into a parking space, parallel parking, stopping and starting on a slope, turning at a right angle, and driving through curves (commonly known as S-turns). Some regions also include a sixth item: collecting a toll card on a highway.
When teaching friends to practice driving, I often emphasize the difference between turning the steering wheel too early or too late. Turning too early most obviously risks scraping the front bumper against the car in front, with the wheels too close to the curb. Checking the rearview mirror, you'll see the front door handle position is tucked too far inward. In this case, you must immediately straighten the wheel and reverse, aligning the car parallel to the curb before turning again. Turning too late is troublesome because the rear wheels may cross the line, causing the rear to swing onto the sidewalk. Once, in a hurry, I turned too late, and the right rear wheel ran straight onto the curb, scraping the underbody guard with a loud clang. The remedy is to turn the wheel an extra half-turn, letting the front veer slightly left before straightening, leaving room for a second adjustment. During practice, turning the wheel when the front door handle aligns with the curb is the most stable approach.
