When parking downhill, how should you orient your wheels?

When parking downhill, how should you orient your wheels?

• A. Inward, toward the curb
• B. Outward, away from the curb
• C. Parallel to the curb
• D. Toward the center of the road

Answer: (A)

When parking downhill, turn the front wheels toward the curb. This uses the curb as a barrier that will stop the car if gravity makes it roll. If the wheels were turned away from the curb or kept parallel to the curb, the vehicle could roll into the street because there’d be nothing to stop it. The curb provides a physical stop that helps keep the car from moving into traffic, especially on a slope. (If there’s no curb, turning toward the edge of the road serves a similar purpose by guiding the vehicle away from traffic.)

When parking downhill, turn the front wheels toward the curb. This uses the curb as a barrier that will stop the car if gravity makes it roll. If the wheels were turned away from the curb or kept parallel to the curb, the vehicle could roll into the street because there’d be nothing to stop it. The curb provides a physical stop that helps keep the car from moving into traffic, especially on a slope. (If there’s no curb, turning toward the edge of the road serves a similar purpose by guiding the vehicle away from traffic.)