Use this guide to prepare for the exam, and refer to the official manual for complete details.
Properly parking a vehicle is a fundamental driving skill that ensures safety and maintains the orderly flow of traffic. Illegally parked vehicles can create dangerous obstructions, block access for emergency services, and inconvenience other road users. A thorough understanding of Alabama’s parking laws is necessary to avoid fines, towing, and hazardous situations, and is a key component of the driver’s knowledge exam.
General Parking Rules
Whenever a driver parks a vehicle, they must ensure it is stationary and secure. This involves several key steps that should become a habit.
Securing the Vehicle
Before leaving a parked vehicle, a driver must:
- Set the parking brake. This provides a mechanical lock on the wheels that is separate from the hydraulic brake system and is the most important step in securing a vehicle.
- Place the vehicle in gear. For automatic transmissions, shift to “Park.” For manual transmissions, shift into “Reverse” if facing downhill or “First” gear if facing uphill.
- Turn off the engine and remove the key. This prevents theft and unauthorized use.
- Check for traffic before opening the door to exit the vehicle.
Parking on a Hill
Parking on an incline requires extra precautions to ensure the vehicle does not roll into traffic if the brakes fail. The direction the front wheels are turned depends on whether there is a curb and which direction the vehicle is facing.
- Facing Downhill (With or Without a Curb): Turn the front wheels sharply toward the curb or the edge of the road. This way, if the vehicle starts to roll, it will roll into the curb or off the road, not into the traffic lane.
- Facing Uphill (With a Curb): Turn the front wheels sharply away from the curb and let the vehicle roll back gently until the back of the front tire touches the curb. The curb will then act as a block.
- Facing Uphill (Without a Curb): Turn the front wheels sharply toward the edge of the road. If the vehicle rolls backward, it will move off the pavement instead of into the path of other vehicles.
Pro-Tip:
A simple way to remember which way to turn your wheels when parking uphill with a curb is “Up, Up, and Away.” When parking Uphill, turn the wheels Up and Away from the curb.
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