Why Is It Easier To Parallel Park Your Car If You Reverse Into The ...

It is easier to parallel park your car if you reverse into the space rather than drive straight in because the front tires of the car are controlled by the steering wheel, and can therefore be steered in any direction with ease, as opposed to the rear wheels, which only move straight.

If you own a car, truck or any other four-wheeled vehicle, you are probably intimately aware of this annoying thing that happens almost daily in our lives. Even if you don’t own a vehicle, you have likely seen plenty of other folks backing up instead of driving in head-on to parallel park their vehicle.

Why is this practice of parallel parking cars so common? Why don’t they just turn their vehicles head-on into the empty slot to park, rather than backing up into it, a maneuver that involves a great deal of practice and effort on the driver’s part?

Short answer: Parallel parking is easier when you reverse into the vacant space because the front tires of the car are controlled by the steering wheel, and can therefore be steered in any direction with ease, as opposed to the rear wheels, which only move straight.

However, before we delve deeper into this parking problem, we need to cover a few basics…

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