Hill parking and parallel parking

Key points

1. When you park, always set the brake and put the car in park.

   Source: Handbook p. 57

   “When parking, a motorist should always set the brake and put the vehicle in park or, with a manual transmission, in reverse or low gear.”
   New Jersey Driver Manual, Handbook p. 57

2. Facing downhill: set the hand brake and turn the wheels toward the curb.

   Source: Handbook p. 57

   “When parking a vehicle facing downhill: The hand brake should be set, and the vehicle’s wheels should be turned toward the curb.”
   New Jersey Driver Manual, Handbook p. 57

3. Facing uphill: set the hand brake and turn the wheels away from the curb.

   Source: Handbook p. 57

   “When parking a vehicle facing uphill: The hand brake should be set, and the vehicle’s wheels should be turned away from the curb.”
   New Jersey Driver Manual, Handbook p. 57

4. To parallel park, pull up beside the car in front, about 2 to 4 feet away from it.

   Source: Handbook p. 58

   “Pull up alongside (parallel) about two to four feet from the vehicle in front.”
   New Jersey Driver Manual, Handbook p. 58

5. Back up slowly for about 2 feet, then turn the wheel all the way to the right.

   Source: Handbook p. 58

   “Begin backing up slowly for about two feet and turn the steering wheel all the way to the right.”
   New Jersey Driver Manual, Handbook p. 58

6. When you finish, your tires should be no more than 6 inches from the curb.

   Source: Handbook p. 58

   “The vehicle’s tires should be no more than six inches from the curb.”
   New Jersey Driver Manual, Handbook p. 58

7. Practice with flags or markers set 25 feet apart before parking between real cars.

   Source: Handbook p. 58

   “Flags or markers 25 feet apart may be used to show where the other vehicles would be.”
   New Jersey Driver Manual, Handbook p. 58

8. When backing out of an angle space, tap the horn to warn people nearby.

   Source: Handbook p. 57

   “Tap the horn to warn nearby pedestrians.”
   New Jersey Driver Manual, Handbook p. 57

9. The front of the car swings the opposite way from the direction you turn.

   Source: Handbook p. 58

   “Remember that the front of the vehicle will swing opposite of the direction of the turn.”
   New Jersey Driver Manual, Handbook p. 58

Numbers to know

3 questions from the New Jersey practice test

1. 1. When parking a New Jersey vehicle facing downhill beside a curb, which way should the wheels point?

   1. Away from the curb
   2. Toward the curb
   3. Straight toward the center line
   4. Toward the nearest driveway
   Show answer

   Toward the curb. Facing downhill, the parked vehicle wheels should turn toward the curb, with the hand brake set and the transmission in park or reverse for a manual vehicle. Turning away would let a rolling vehicle move farther into the roadway, while a straight setting does not use the curb as a stop. Before leaving, secure the brake, check surroundings, and match wheel position to the slope.

2. 2. When parking uphill beside a curb in New Jersey, which way should the front wheels point?

   1. Toward the curb
   2. Straight ahead, with the transmission in neutral
   3. Away from the curb
   4. Toward the center of the roadway
   Show answer

   Away from the curb. On an uphill curbside space, New Jersey directs the motorist to set the hand brake and turn the wheels away from the curb. That position helps keep the vehicle from rolling into the curb line if it moves backward. Turning toward the curb is the downhill procedure, so it reverses the condition in this question. Leaving the wheels straight or aiming into traffic gives no comparable curb-facing safeguard. Identify the slope first, then pair uphill with away and downhill with toward.

3. 3. When parallel parking in New Jersey, how far from the curb should the tires be at the end?

   1. About two feet
   2. No more than six inches
   3. At least four feet
   4. Touching the curb with both tires
   Show answer

   No more than six inches. After completing a parallel-park maneuver, New Jersey says the vehicle's tires should be no more than six inches from the curb. Two feet describes the initial position alongside the vehicle in front, not the final curb clearance. Four feet leaves the vehicle too far out, and touching the curb risks contact. Distinguish setup distance from finishing distance: begin about two to four feet from the other vehicle, then end within six inches of the curb.

Source: the New Jersey Driver Manual, Chapter 3: Driver Responsibility. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.