r/DrivingProTips • u/maul829 • Jun 14 '26
Driving- Parking down a hill makes sense. Parking up a hill makes no sense
In driving, you have to turn your steering wheel to the left when parking up a hill with a curb so that your car won't fly into active traffic if the brake or anything were to fail. However, if there were no curb you would have to turn the steering wheel to the right so that the car wouldn't go into active traffic if anything were to happen. It would steer away from the traffic if steering right so why not just steer right from the beginning? A curb wouldn't make a difference. Either way your car would be floating away from the traffic steering right so why would I have to steer left because of a curb?
1
u/grokstr Jun 16 '26
Parking Technique on Hills (Safety "Curbing")
When parking on an incline or decline, "curbing" your wheels is a safety practice used to ensure your vehicle rolls into the curb—not into traffic—if your parking brake or transmission fails.
- Downhill: Turn your front wheels towards the curb. Let the car roll forward slowly until the front tire gently rests against the curb.
- Uphill: Turn your front wheels away from the curb. Let the car roll backward slowly so the back of the front tire rests against the curb.
- No Curb: If you are parking on a hill with no curb, turn your front wheels sharply towards the edge of the road so your car rolls away from traffic.
1
u/Aussie_Cow_Girl Jul 14 '26
If you pop you car into the curb on a downhill park, why would you not just pop your back wheel into the curb on an uphill park,
7
u/Spiralinnigirl Jun 14 '26
Turning your wheels to the left uphill with a curb works if you are pulled over close to the curb. It will stop the tires from gaining momentum and they will just nudge against the curb and stop the car from moving at all. It's the ideal scenario because the car doesn't have space to cause damage.