How to park on an inclined surface

For some drivers, parking can be quite a task, others would even take longer than usual to properly position their vehicles on a slot. Now, what if you need to park on an inclined surface, is it really that hard? In order for you to do it with ease and confidence, we’ve prepared some tips and tricks on how you can park your car in an uphill, downhill direction, and even on a hill without a curb. Just take note and follow these simple steps, especially during the vacation rush which may leave you with not many options on where to park.

1. Search for an open spot. After finding one, pull into it.
2. Once you’ve successfully positioned your vehicle, don’t forget to turn your front wheels away from the curb and back up until your tires touch the curb. By doing this, your car will hit the curb instead of rolling into traffic, if ever its braking system fails. 
3. After successfully doing the first two steps, place your car in neutral and activate the parking brake, gradually releasing the foot brake to confirm the parking brake is engaged.
4. Finally, for automatic vehicles, shift into park, while manual transmissions should be left in either first gear or reverse after turning off the engine and exiting the vehicle.

1. After finding a slot, pull into it or parallel park.
2. Unlike parking uphill, facing your car downhill will require you to turn your wheel towards the curb and then move forward until the tires touch it. This is to prevent your car from going downhill if your brakes fail.
3. Next, shift your car into neutral and engage your parking brake, gently letting off the foot brake to ensure your parking brake is clamped on.
4. Lastly, put your gear in the park position, while manual vehicles should be left in either first gear or reverse after turning off the vehicle and leaving your car.

1. Start by pulling into an open spot.
2. Remember, always turn the front wheels to the right, so if ever your car’s braking system fails, then it won’t end up rolling off the roadway.
3. Next, you shift into neutral and activate the parking brake, then release the foot brake gently to ensure the parking brake engages securely.
4. After you’ve properly positioned your vehicle in the slot, put your gear in the park position, while manual vehicles should be left in either first gear or reverse after turning off the vehicle then you can set off. 

• Parking on an incline is better if your car is equipped with hill-start assist and hill-descent control - Most modern vehicles come with hill-start assist which provides convenience and safety as you drive up or down a hill. Once activated, both systems prevent the car from rolling forward or backward when driving through a slope.
• Always engage the parking brake in neutral before shifting into the park position for automatic transmissions - This is because going to the park position before the parking brake engages puts a lot of strain on the transmission’s parking pawl which may break it leaving your car to freely roll. Always remember to make sure your car rests on the parking brake instead of the parking pawl to avoid this.
• Keep a safe distance from the cars upfront and behind you - Remember, it’s best to maintain a safe distance from both the front and rear vehicle, for each car, including yours, to drive out of their parking spot comfortably.
• Use a wheel chock - For better assurance and security, use a wheel chock especially if you’re carrying a heavy load, and park at the hill more often. You can use a triangular piece of wood or better yet, you can buy solid rubber chocks that can grip the road preventing potential slippage.
• As much as possible, avoid parking on an inclined surface - Lastly, it’s best if you can avoid parking on inclined surfaces. Aside from experiencing the extra hassle, some experts claim that doing this regularly could have detrimental effects on your car, specifically on your car’s transmission. So if you have the extra time to find a better, flatter parking spot, then do it.