How To Reverse Park Like A Pro: A Simple Guide

If you want to know how to reverse park your vehicle consistently, follow these simple steps:

1. Choose an empty parking spot
2. Activate your turn signal
3. Drive two spots ahead of your preferred parking spot
4. Turn the steering wheel towards the parking spot
5. Look behind you while you reverse
6. Straighten your wheels
7. Reverse until you reach the end of the parking spot
8. Confirm your vehicle is aligned with the parking lines
9. Park, turn off your vehicle, and exit

Back Parking Made Simple: How to Park in Reverse

There’s no denying that reverse parking is difficult, and new drivers might find it too daunting to even try. Still, every driver should know how to reverse park for the sake of their safety.

When you reverse park, you’ll have a much easier time seeing your surroundings when you exit your parking spot. This way, you can minimize accidents and drive straight out without any complications.

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide on how to park in reverse like a pro:

Pick a Good, Empty Parking Spot

The best parking spots are the ones that have empty spaces on both sides. Bear in mind that this isn’t always going to be feasible, especially in more crowded parking spaces.

Good parking spaces also have overhead lights. If you plan on parking at night, or if you plan on leaving your vehicle parked overnight, make sure to park near a light source.

Activate Your Turn Signal

Make sure to activate the turn signal in the direction of the parking space you’re entering. Odds are the other drivers will see what you’re trying to do and go around you instead of waiting. Activating your turn signal is a simple courtesy you owe to every other driver around you. This way, people will be able to know which direction you’re going to go.

Drive Two Spots Beyond Where You Will Park

After getting your bearings, drive until your rearview mirror lines up with the outside line of a parking space two spots over. These parking lines will help you estimate how far you need to pull forward to turn in.

This part is tricky at first. But with enough practice, you’ll be able to get more accurate readings of where to stop your vehicle. Make sure you pull up about a foot away from the openings of the other parking spots.

Turn Your Steering Wheel Towards the Parking Spot

Now that your vehicle is in position, shift your vehicle into reverse and turn the steering wheel as far as it can go. Make sure the wheels of your vehicle are tilted in the same direction as the parking spot. For example, if your parking spot is on your right, turn the wheel towards the right. This way, you’ll always know exactly how sharp your turn will be.

Look Behind You While Back Parking

While your vehicle is in reverse, take a look around. You must pay careful attention to your surroundings and take extra care that your vehicle isn’t going to bump anything along the way. Look in all directions, especially when you’re in a busy parking lot.

When you’re looking behind you, make sure to look at the direction your vehicle is going. While backup cameras are useful, you can get a better gauge of how close or far you are from obstacles with your own eyes.

Straighten Your Wheels

Once the rear bumper of your vehicle is halfway inside the parking spot, stop your vehicle and straighten the wheel. Turn your steering wheel until your rear tires are perfectly parallel with the parking lines in your chosen parking spot.

Make sure to reverse slowly so you can properly tell whether or not your wheels are parallel. Backup cameras often tell you whether or not your wheels are aligned with your parking spot so don’t be afraid to use those for help.

Reverse Into the End of the Spot

Now that your wheels are straight and parallel with your parking spot, reverse slowly. You’ll need to back up your vehicle until it is fully inside the slot. Just be sure not to reverse too far back if you want to avoid bumping the rear end of your vehicle against the curb.

Usually, you can stop reversing once your front bumper reaches the end of the parking lines. For those of you with smaller vehicles, you might need to back up even further. You can use your backup camera to get a better look at what’s behind you.

Look Around You and Make Adjustments

Once your vehicle is fully parked, gently open the door. It’s important to open the door as slowly as possible to avoid bumping it into any obstacles. Once the space is large enough for you to poke your head out of, examine the parking lines and confirm that your vehicle is parallel with them.

If your vehicle veers towards one side more than the other, you can pull forward to try and correct the angle. This way, other drivers won’t have to deal with driving away from a vehicle that’s been parked diagonally.

Park Your Vehicle and Turn It Off

After you’re positive that your vehicle is perfectly aligned (or at least as close to perfect as it can be) with the parking lines, you can park your vehicle. Engage your parking brake, the keys out of the ignition, and carefully open the door. Once all these steps are complete, you’re free to exit the vehicle and go about your business!

Reverse Parking Tips: The Do’s and Don’ts of Parking Your Vehicle

Though parking in reverse might sound easy on paper, there are a lot of things to keep in mind. For example, it might not be obvious to keep an eye out for pedestrians. It’s hard to pay attention to your surroundings when you’re looking back. You could accidentally bump into someone without even realizing it.

Here are the different dos and don’ts of parking your vehicle.

Do…

• Park in the right spot for your vehicle.
• Pay extra attention to the different parking restrictions.
• Park between the parking lines.
• Make your vehicle as visible to other drivers as possible.
• Check your mirrors frequently to avoid bumping into things.
• Keep an eye out for pedestrians in front of you and behind you.

Don’t…

• Touch other people’s vehicles, even if they’re parked.
• Block the paths of other vehicles.
• Take up more than one lane when parking.
• Drive over the front line of the parking space.
• Tailgate other drivers.
• Neglect your turn signals when parking.

How To Reverse

If you’re a beginner wondering how to make your car drive in reverse, follow these steps:

Press on the Brakes

Make sure your foot is pressing on the brake pedal before you start reversing. This will keep the vehicle in place and prevent it from moving as you shift gears.

Put the Vehicle in Reverse Gear

You’ll need to put your car into reverse gear before it’ll start backing up. Usually, this will mean setting its gear stick to reverse, or “R.” Automatic and manual vehicles with a gear stick should have this setting.

Keep an Eye on Your Vehicle’s Mirrors

As always, make sure to remain aware of your surroundings as you drive. Watch your mirrors to make sure you aren’t backing up into a pedestrian or another vehicle.

Release the Brake Pedal

Most vehicle engines idle with enough RPM that the vehicle will start to move backwards when you release the brake, even without stepping on the gas. Remove your foot slowly from the brake and keep it close to the pedal as you begin to back up. If you remove your foot from the brake too quickly, you risk backing up too quickly and losing control of the vehicle.

From there, it’s a matter of steering your vehicle into position. Reverse parking can be a tricky maneuver for beginners, and it can even befuddle some more experienced drivers who don’t frequently reverse park. Now that you’re more familiar with the steps for reverse parking, you can confidently tackle those tricky parking spaces.