Learning to Angle Park Your Vehicle

Updated Sept. 30, 2019

Angled parking spaces are designed to make parking easy. This maneuver is far less challenging than parallel parking or perpendicular parking but will still take a little practice to get right. Angled parking spaces are painted with the same dimensions pretty much across the whole of America: once you’ve mastered angle parking, you should be able to repeat the maneuver with ease anywhere.

Step-by-step instructions
Angled parking dimensions
Backing out of an angled parking space

Find an empty parking lot with angled spaces when you wish to start practicing this style of parking. This will allow you to maneuver at your own pace, without having to worry about other drivers. Always drive into an angled parking space forwards, as this is the way they are intended to be used. Backing into an angled space is trickier and should be avoided.

Step-by-step instructions

These are the steps you should follow when parking in an angled space:

1

Begin practicing the maneuver at a reasonable distance from the parking space.
2

Activate yourturn signalsor usehand signalsto communicate your intention to park.
3

Drive forward while remaining adjacent to the row of angled parking bays, until your front bumper lines up with the closest line of the space.
4

Steer sharply toward the parking space, centering the vehicle as you go.
5

Drive forward until your car has completely entered the space.
6

Be sure to straighten your wheels beforeleaving the vehicle, so that you can leave the space with ease.

Angled parking dimensions

Most angled parking spaces afford drivers plenty of room to maneuver, measuring at nine to ten feet wide and 20 feet deep. When correctly centered in the parking spot, you will have enough space to open your doors without damaging adjacent vehicles. On average, passenger cars are about six feet wide.

Parking spaces designed for angle parking provide plenty of space to enter and exit the vehicle without interfering with other cars, provided you park in the middle of the parking space.

Backing out of an angled parking space

Angle parking spaces should always be entered head-on. When you need to reverse out of an angle parking spot, begin by consulting your mirrors and turning to look behind the vehicle to make sure nothing is in your way. There may be other vehicles or pedestrians passing.

When you are certain it is safe, reverse until your front bumper is in line with the rear bumper of the car beside you. Then steer sharply in the direction you need the rear wheels to travel. Continue backing up slowly until you have totally cleared the angle space. Remember to keep an eye on the front of your car and do not turn too soon, otherwise you may scratch another vehicle on the way out.

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Perpendicular Parking

Also known as 90-degree parking, perpendicular parking uses spaces that are arranged at a 90-degree angle in relation to the parking lot lanes. Drivers may enter a perpendicular parking space head-on or in reverse – there is a great deal of debate among highway and traffic safety experts as to which method is better. As reversing is always more challenging, you should begin by mastering the head-on perpendicular parking method and progress to backing-up later.

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Parallel Parking

There is no denying that parallel parking is harder than both angle parking and perpendicular parking, though like all things, it can be mastered with practice. ALWAYS practice parallel parking in an empty parking lot before attempting it on the road between real vehicles.

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Parking on Hills

New drivers must learn how to park on a hill safely. Parking on a hill is more dangerous than parking on a flat surface, as you will need to contend with gravity and secure your vehicle in such a way that it does not roll. You will be legally responsible if your car causes damage to another person’s property or injures somebody, if you have not properly secured it.

Review

Making Turns 9 of 9

U-Turns

Making a U-turn is the quickest and easiest way to turn your vehicle around should you need to reverse your direction of travel. This may happen if you find you are traveling in the wrong direction or if you accidentally over-shoot your destination.

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Passing Basics

Passing another vehicle immediately puts you and every road user around you at risk, no matter how safely you execute the maneuver. Passing-related collisions are often high-speed and head-on, which sadly means they are usually fatal. All drivers must learn how and where they should pass other vehicles, in addition to situations in which passing is forbidden.

Passing 2 of 3

Passing: Step-by-Step

When learning to pass another vehicle, the most important skill that new drivers must develop is accurately judging whether there is enough space to pass safely. Overestimating how much room you have could cause a serious collision. When passing at highway speeds, drivers need a 10 to 12 second gap in opposing traffic to execute the maneuver safely. During this gap, you will travel approximately 800 feet, or one third of a mile.

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Illegal Passing

Qualified drivers must keep up-to-date with passing rules and restrictions, as making an illegal pass could earn you a ticket and create a dangerous driving situation. Do not pass another vehicle when your view is limited by a hill, a curve or unfavorable weather conditions. Passing close to intersections, bridges, railroad crossings or school zones is also illegal.

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Parking

When learning to drive, you must learn how to angle park, perpendicular park and parallel park. The latter of these three techniques – along with parking on a hill – is almost guaranteed to come up during your practical driving exam. Attempting to park becomes dangerous if you fail to think ahead or allow yourself to get stressed-out by other drivers.

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Parking Restrictions

Parking is illegal or restricted in many areas. Unfortunately, you cannot always rely on colored curb markings or a “NO PARKING” sign being present in places where parking is prohibited. As a driver, it is your responsibility to learn about parking rules, restrictions and prohibitions and abide by this information at all times.