The Official Jonny Driving School Blog

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
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What is a Dram Shop and What Are Dram Driving Laws?

Billie somewhere in the United States asks: What does Dram Driving Law mean? Is there such a law?

Hello Billie, I have to admit this question was one of the stranger ones that have come my way.

A "Dram Shop" is legal talk for a bar or tavern. Dram Driving Laws generally refer to legislation that punishes bars or bar owners who either serve minors alcohol and then the minors get into an accident. Some times Dram Driving Laws are applied to non-minors as well if it is believed that the bar establishment kept serving the patron alcohol after they were already intoxicated at some level.

I'm not a legal expert, but I found Wikipedia's article about Dram to be informational. Please note however that Wikipedia is never a definitive source (they let idiots like me post on their site) and that Dram Driving Laws will vary from state to state: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dram_shop

Until next time Billie, may your search for Dram Driving Law answers be a fruitful one!

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Can you give me some curbside parking tips?

Brea from GHS: What is the best way for me to avoid hitting the curb during the parking, and backing up? How far away can I be? How far do I have to back up?

Hello Brea, it seems that, like so many other teenagers roaming the earth, the ghost of curb-side parking is haunting you too.

In response to "How far away can I be?": In California, you are required to parking within 18" of the curb (or 1½ feet) WITHOUT touching the curb.

In response to "How far do I have to back up?": Again in California, on the drive test, you back up about 3 car lengths. Each examiner will use their own judgment and have you back up as much as they deem necessary.

To best avoid hitting the curb when you park, I suggest:

When you back up, just make sure you look behind you and then use your right-side mirror from time to time to make sure you're going straight along the curb, not getting too close or too far away. Also, many people who back up poorly move the steering wheel too much. Do your best to keep the wheel mostly straight, only making tiny adjustments to the steering wheel.

Until next time Brea, approach the curb slow and steady, look for the street gutter, and park within 18" of the curb without hitting it!

Jonny Driving School
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I already have a driver license from another country. What will I have to do to get my driver license in the US?

Kisha from California and/or Florida asks: I already have a drivers license from another country. im married here now. i was authorised from the immigration society that i can go get my drivers license. my question is what do i need to do. do i have to do the dmv test, behind the wheel test, or just the vision and hearing test? i need to know that i can be prepared please help.

It will depend on what state you are talking about. In California, the quick answer is YES, you will be required to take the written test, the behind the wheel test, and the vision test. Here's a list of what the CA DMV requires (as listed on their website) for your driver's license:

IN CALIFORNIA, to apply for an original driver license if you are over 18, you will need to do the following:

IN FLORIDA, it looks like if you have a valid license from your home country, you need to bring:

Age 18 or Older

I also found:

Note: A new resident exchanging a valid out-of-state license for a Florida license will be required to pass the vision and hearing tests only.

I would recommend visiting http://www.flhsmv.gov/ddl/geninfo.html#d for full details, as there is a lot of information to consider. But from what I understand, if you are a new resident, you should only have to pass the vision and hearing test if you already have a valid, non-expired license from another state or country.

At the end of the day, it looks like you have a very complicated situation. Everything I see on the FL website says you need a SSN to get a license in Florida. I would strongly advise you contact the FL DMV to get a definitive answer to your question - they have an online contact form at: http://www.flhsmv.gov/html/contact.html

Good luck, sorry I couldn't get you the exact answer you were seeking.

Hope that helps, thanks!

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If you are backing up your vehicle from a parking spot and accidentally hit a vehicle who is moving, will it be my fault?

Tommy from Westbury Christian in Houston Texas asks: When you're backing up the vehicle from a parking spot, i accidentally hit the vehicle who is moving. Will it be my fault? At that time, i only backed up a small distance. ?

First let me say, I hope you and the other driver are not hurt and all is well with you! Second, let me say that I can't rightly say who was at fault since I was not there at the scene of the collision. And more importantly, it will be up to insurance agents, peace officers, and maybe a judge to decide who was truly at fault. But with that said, here's my opinion on the matter:

If you were backing out, it was probably your fault (legally) because you were backing out and the other driver, if they were proceeding straight, had the right of way.

However, most accidents have shared fault. For example, they may rule it was 80% your fault and 20% the other driver's fault. It all depends on what actually happened. For instance, maybe the other driver was speeding? Or maybe you were both backing out?

At the end of the day, don't admit fault and let your insurance agent work things out, unless your insurance agent is shady....

Good luck Tommy Li, hopefully you are okay!

Until next time, look behind you, look to your left, look to your right, and back out safe!

Jonny Driving School
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I accidentally hit a vehicle that was also moving in a parking lot. Will it be my fault?

Tommy from Westbury Christian: When you're backing up the vehicle from a parking spot, i accidentally hit the vehicle who is moving. Will it be my fault? (At that time, i only backed up a small distance.)

Hello Tommy, hope you're okay and that nobody was hurt, besides possibly someone's feelings. And let me say you're not alone; parking lots are the #2 place that accidents occur (seconds only to intersections).

First let me say that I can't rightly say who was at fault since I was not there. And more importantly, it will be up to insurance agents, peach officers, and maybe a judge to decide who was truly at fault. But with that said, here's my opinion on the matter:

If you were backing out, it was probably your fault (legally) because you were backing out and the other driver, if they were proceeding straight, had the right of way.

However, most accidents have shared fault. For example, they may rule it was 80% your fault and 20% the other driver's fault. It all depends on what actually happened. For instance, maybe the other driver was speeding? Or maybe you were both backing out?

At the end of the day Tommy, don't admit fault and let your insurance agent work things out, unless your insurance agent is shady.

Jonny Driving School
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Can I go faster than the speed limit if the flow of traffic is faster than the speed limit?

Shelby from Coalinga, CA aks: Helloooo Big Jon, can you tell me if it's okay to speed if everyone else is speeding? Could I still get pulled over?

Shelby, no one has called me Big Jon in years. You had me at Heloooo. Anyhow, the simple answer to your question is NO, you may not exceed the speed limit under any circumstance. So if everybody else is doing 70mph, but the posted speed is 65mph, then legally you must not exceed 65mph.

And could you still get a speeding ticket if everyone around you is speeding as well? Yes, you are still subject to the same speed laws and could be pulled over and given a traffic ticket.

Hope that helps!

Until next time Shelby from Coalinga, ease of the gas, make note of the posted speed limit, and stay ticket free!

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Is it true I can't smoke with my kid in the car??

Nancy B. from San Dimas Asks: My son told me today that I can't smoke with him in the car. He said it's against the law, is this true??

For the love of all things holy Nancy, what are you doing smoking when your son is in the car in the first place? And yes, in San Dimas and the entire state of California it is most definitely illegal to smoke in your car with a minor present. The fine for violating this law is $100 and was authorized by State Senator Oropeza with the "Smoke-free Cars with Minors" law.

Hope that helps.

Until next time Nancy B. from San Dimas, leave your son's lungs alone, don't throw your butts on the street, and please do not smoke with your son in the car!

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