What to Do If You Keep Crossing the Line When Parallel Parking?
3 Answers
When selecting a parking spot, generally maintain a distance of 1.5 meters between your car and the left edge line. Stop when the front door handle aligns with the sensor line. Always maintain low speed during the maneuver. Simultaneously, observe the left rearview mirror. When the lower edge of the left mirror passes the parking line, turn the steering wheel fully to the right. Watch the right rearview mirror. When the distance between the right side of the car body and the parking space corner is about two fingers' width, turn the steering wheel back one full rotation, then continue reversing.
When I first started learning to reverse park, I kept running over the lines and was extremely frustrated. Later, I realized it was mainly because I was going too fast and didn’t have the right angle. I practiced many times in an empty space, drawing white lines to simulate parking spots, focusing on the position of the corner lines in the rearview mirror. Slowing down the reversing speed to under 5 km/h, turning the steering wheel more promptly, and keeping the car parallel to the parking space were key. Having a coach or experienced friend guide me was also helpful—they could point out small mistakes. After much practice, I became much more skilled. The key was spending 10 minutes daily repeating the maneuver. Remember, don’t get discouraged—practice makes perfect.
From daily driving experience, misalignment usually happens due to inaccurate angles or improperly adjusted sightlines. Before I reverse into a parking space, I always get out of the car first to check the size of the spot, then adjust the rearview mirrors after getting back in to ensure all corners are visible. During reversing, I drive slowly and make slight steering adjustments while checking if the lines align with the side windows. If it's for a test, remembering the marked points in the exam area will make it much easier. Also, don’t get nervous—nervousness leads to fumbling. Practice a few more times, and it’ll become second nature.
