Parking on the side of the road

Pulling over to the side of the road is probably the most common way to park your car.

Where should you practise this?

Start in a quiet street, where there is at least three car lengths of clear kerb for you to park against.

Practice steps

1. Look ahead to find a place to park.
2. Check your mirrors.
3. Indicate left for at least three seconds.
4. Check your mirrors again and any blind spots.
5. Brake gently and steer smoothly to the side of the road.
6. Park parallel to and within 30cm of the kerb.
7. Apply the handbrake and put your car into neutral (manual) or park (auto).
8. Turn off the indicator and stop your engine.

Safe and legal parking

Before you decide on a place to park, there are a few rules to keep in mind. These rules are for the safety of pedestrians and other road users.

Make sure you’re legally parked:

• Look for any signs or road markings that may stop you from parking.
• Don’t park closer than 1 metre from any vehicle entrance.
• Don’t park closer than 6 metres from any pedestrian crossing or intersection.
• Always park on the left side of the road (unless parking in a one-way street).

Choose a safe position to park:

• Park parallel to the road (unless signs or road markings allow angle parking).
• Make sure you’re as far left as possible.
• If you’re stopping in a high-speed area (which may not have a kerb), try and move as far off the road as possible.
• If it’s dark, check your car is visible to other road users on the side of the road. Try to park where there are street lights or turn on your park lights.
• When you’re parking on a hill and facing downhill, angle your front wheel towards the kerb. When facing uphill, angle you wheels away from the kerb.