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How do you parallel park between two cars?

Vanessa from El Camino High in West Hills, CA asks: I can't park between 2 cars on the curb and its frustrating as all get out!! my mom won't practice with me and my dad always yells at me so i refuse to drive with him. but i'm scared cause my driving test is in two weeks and i NEED MY LICENSE SO BAD! Please HELP!!

Hello there Vanessa, take a deep breath and relax, I have some fairly good news for you.

First of all, in California, you are not required to parallel park, or park between two cars along the curb, as you called it. On the CADMV drive test, you will indeed curbside park, but the examiner should give you a nice open curb to park along side so that you can pull straight into the curb with ease. After you curbside park, you will be asked to reverse in a straight line for about 3 car lengths.

With that said, learning to parallel park is definitely a must, especially if you live in Los Angeles County as you do. From what I remember, many students at El Camino HS end up having to park along side busy Valley Circle, so parallel parking becomes all the more important for you.

First of all, if you are really terrible at parking, please consider taking a short refresher driving lesson with a driving school. They have an extra brake and can teach you to park without yelling at you, while being able to keep you from hitting other cars. If that is not an option for you, then maybe try going to an empty parking lot and setting up a couple of orange safety cones (or something you don't mind hitting wit your car). That way you can practice the mechanics of parallel parking with your father and he shouldn't have as much reason to scream at you. It is really the mechanics of parallel parking that confuse most people, getting them down in a safe place like a parking lot is smart so that you can perform with more confidence when parking on a busy street. After you've mastered the parking lot, then move onto a quiet residential street and practice parallel parking behind a single car before trying to squeeze between two cars.

Also, try this parking simulation program: Parking Simulator from Drivers Ed Direct. It is free and actually does a nice job of simulating the movements you need to make when parking in several different situations. With parallel parking, knowing when to start cranking the wheel is key, and this game does a great job of illustrating the different points when you need to turn the wheel.

Hope all that helps Vanessa. At the end of the day, practice is the best medicine. Start in a quiet parking lot, then move onto small residential streets, and lastly onto busier streets when you feel comfortable!

Jonny Driving School
DrivingSchoolProgram.com

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