Goal: To master parallel parking and three point turns

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Time: The suggested time to spend on this lesson is 2 hours with 30 minutes demonstration and 90 minutes practice.

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Location:

• Parallel parking can be practiced in your driveway with another car, cones or even garbage cans.
• It is recommended that your teen also practices somewhere that has a curb. If you can bring a second car or another object for practice, the School parking lot is a good place to practice.
• You can try some of the streets I suggest on slide number 6 for three point turns. You may also be able to find cars positioned that will not cause you to block driveways when parallel parking

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9. Parallel Parking and Three Point Turns

Practice ! Practice!! Practice!!!

Procedure

1. Use your right blinker as you pull up beside the car you want to park behind
• You want to be about 2 to 2-1/2 feet from the other car
• Stop when your back tire is even with the back bumper of the other car
• Check your mirrors and all around
• Turn your steering wheel one full turn to the right
• Put your car in reverse and do one more mirror check and shoulder check before backing
• Release the brake and let the car roll back
2. When your car is at a 45º angle back straight until your front bumper is even with the green cars back bumper.
3. Turn your wheel 2 turns to the left
4. As you continue to back begin turn your wheel to the right until the car is parallel to the curb and about 8-12 inches away from the curb
5. Straighten you wheels and pull the car straight ahead parallel to the curb
• Park the car about 3 feet behind the car in front of you

Parallel Parking

Use the blinker then check behind you just before backing!

Without taking these precautions you can fail the road test

Exiting a parallel parking space

• Check all around you
• Back up before pulling out. This increases the space needed for pulling out
• Check your mirrors shift into drive
• Turn on your left blinker do one last mirror and shoulder check
• Make sure the travel path is clear, and then move forward while steering out of the space.
• Turn off the left blinker after entering the roadway

Use Blinker and check behind you for oncoming traffic!

Without taking these precautions you can fail the road test

Exiting a Parallel Parking Space

This is a more challenging turn and your teen needs to understand that it should only be performed when the street is narrow, with good visibility, with no public driveways, when traffic is light, when it’s legal, and when there is no other option.

Procedure:

1. Check for traffic in your mirrors and blind spot. Signal right. Pull as far right as possible and stop.
2. ​Check traffic in mirrors and blind spot. When the way is clear, signal left. Make a hard left turn to the opposite curb or side of the road.
3. Check traffic to left and right. Turn front wheels as far right as possible. Looking behind the vehicle, back far enough so the vehicle clears the curb when you pull forward.
4. Check traffic to left and right and proceed when the way is clear.

Three–Point Turns

An excellent place to practice three points

• Get of rt. 8 at the New Hartford Genesee Street exit
• Turn on Genesee Street toward Utica then right on Brookline Dr.
• Use the side streets to practice 3 point turns

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Video: Parallel Park

Video: 3 Point Turn