What should you do when you park facing downhill?

What should you do when you park facing downhill?

• A. Turn your wheels away from the curb
• B. Leave your wheels straight
• C. Turn your wheels toward the curb
• D. Apply parking brake only

Answer: (C)

When you park on a downhill slope and there’s a curb, turn the front wheels toward the curb. This positioning uses the curb as a barrier, so if the car begins to move, it will be guided into the curb rather than into traffic if the brakes fail. Pair this with setting the parking brake for extra security. Leaving the wheels straight or turning them away from the curb wouldn’t provide that curb barrier, increasing the risk of the vehicle rolling into the travel lane. Relying on the parking brake alone isn’t as reliable on a slope, so combining wheel orientation with the brake is the safer approach.

When you park on a downhill slope and there’s a curb, turn the front wheels toward the curb. This positioning uses the curb as a barrier, so if the car begins to move, it will be guided into the curb rather than into traffic if the brakes fail. Pair this with setting the parking brake for extra security. Leaving the wheels straight or turning them away from the curb wouldn’t provide that curb barrier, increasing the risk of the vehicle rolling into the travel lane. Relying on the parking brake alone isn’t as reliable on a slope, so combining wheel orientation with the brake is the safer approach.