What to Do If You Can't Park Straight When Reversing into a Parking Space?
4 Answers
If you can't park straight when reversing into a parking space, you need to understand the techniques for reversing into a parking space: 1. Right-side parking: Adjust the seat and backrest after getting into the car, and adjust the left and right rearview mirrors to the lowest position, preferably so you can see a bit of the rear wheels. Fasten your seatbelt. First, move the car to an appropriate position, shift into reverse gear, gently lift the clutch, and slowly reverse. When the lower edge of the left rearview mirror touches the control line, turn the steering wheel all the way to the right. 2. After turning the steering wheel all the way to the right, look at the left rearview mirror. When you see the corner of the parking space in the left rearview mirror, straighten the steering wheel (if the left front door handle is already over the line, don't straighten the wheel—just reverse directly into the space). 3. After straightening the steering wheel, continue reversing until the left front door handle is over the left parking line, then turn the steering wheel all the way to the right again. 4. When you see the corner of the left baseline of the parking space, straighten the steering wheel. Keep reversing until the car is vertical and parallel, adjusting the car's position as needed. Once the car is aligned, look at the left rearview mirror. When the lower edge of the left rearview mirror casing is over the front line of the parking space, stop the car.
Having driven a taxi for twelve years, I've seen too many beginners stuck here. The core issue is actually not establishing a feel for the car. First, adjust your rearview mirror downward until you can see the rear wheels, and focus mainly on the left mirror when reversing. When the corner of the parking space appears at the bottom edge of the mirror, slowly straighten the steering wheel—this is when the angle between the car body and the parking line is most critical. A two-finger width between the car body and the line is ideal; if it's wider, turn the wheel a bit earlier, and if narrower, a bit later. Don’t rely on the reversing camera—practicing ten times isn’t as good as checking the mirror three times. On rainy days, ground reflections can affect judgment, so it’s best to roll down the window and listen for the radar beeps as an aid.
Let me break it down using the method my driving instructor taught: Don't rush to turn the steering wheel randomly. Turn the steering wheel fully to the right while reversing, and immediately straighten it when the corner of the garage disappears from the right rearview mirror. When you see the rear wheel crossing the garage line in the left rearview mirror, turn the steering wheel fully to the left. This reference point needs slight adjustments based on your car's wheelbase. For my compact car (A-segment), I turn the wheel as soon as the rear wheel touches the line, while my neighbor's SUV requires waiting until the wheel goes 10 cm beyond the line. Placing marker points on the window during each practice session will improve accuracy. Remember to straighten the steering wheel when the car body is aligned - parking with crooked wheels strains the steering gear.
When I first got my driver's license, my reverse parking was as crooked as a drunkard's walk. Later, I realized the key lies in adjusting the seat and mirrors. Set the driver's seat so your outstretched wrist can rest on the top of the steering wheel, and adjust the side mirrors to show one-third of your car's body. When reversing, avoid turning the steering wheel all the way at once—dividing the turn into two steps makes angle control easier. Also, parking lot ground arrows often have deviations, so try using the taillights of the neighboring car as a reference. At night, turning on fog lights can enhance ground visibility, and in older communities with faded parking lines, aligning with fire hydrant positions proves more reliable.
