When I was a new driver I almost learned the hard way how important it was to turn the wheels properly to park safely on a hill. I had parked my father's truck on a hill, didn't put it in park, didn't set the parking brake and kept the front wheels straight before getting out and walking away.
Fortunately for me, a friend saw the truck start to roll away and yelled at me. I was able to jump back in and do what I was supposed to have done before I left the driver's seat.
Which Way to Turn the Wheels
If you are parking on a hill without a curb at the edge, turn the wheels to the right. When a curb is present, turn the wheels to the right if you are facing downhill and to the left if you are facing uphill. If the vehicle does roll, the contact with the curb or turning to roll across the hill may prevent a runaway.
Brakes & Transmission
Always set your parking brake, even if you are not parking on a hill. Put an automatic transmission gear selector in Park, or if your vehicle has a manual transmission, put it in reverse if you are facing downhill or first if you are facing uphill or on a level surface. The combination will make it almost impossible for the vehicle to roll away.
Finally, don't forget that you must park within 30 centimetres or 12 inches of the curb.
Learn More
- Leaving Parked Vehicle - Section 191, Motor Vehicle Act
- Parking Tips and Rules - Page 58, Learn to Drive Smart
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As I parked in Mission today I reflected on two things:
The first is that there were 4 cars backed in to the angled spots. This is a normal 2 lane street with traffic flow in both directions. To my knowledge this is not permitted (similar to parking facing counter flow to traffic when parallel parking).
The second, is what direction should I turn my wheels in this scenario. When parking parallel up a hill, with a curb, I turn my wheels away from the curb. This is so that, should the vehicle roll, the front passenger wheel will abut against the curb and stop the roll.
However, with angled parking, if I turn my wheels the same way (to the left), they won't make contact with the curb. If I turn them to the right they won't either.
I choose to turn them left because of the vehicle rolls, while it will roll into the street it should come to a rest horizontally across the lane. If I were to turn them to the right the vehicle would roll out and potentially down the hill.
Other than carrying chocks for these rare occasions, what's the official recommendation? Searching for this only seems to bring up parallel parking scenarios.
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Angle Parking on a Hill