Downhill Space with a Hydrant 12 Feet Ahead
You are parallel parking on a one-way street that slopes downhill toward an intersection. The curb is 6 inches high, and the street is 30 feet wide. The only space is 23 feet long between a parked SUV in front and a delivery van behind. Your car is 15.5 feet long. A fire hydrant is 12 feet ahead of the front SUV, and a driveway apron begins 5 feet behind the van. The space is on the right side; there is no yellow line. It is daylight, dry, and traffic is light. You must leave the car for 20 minutes. The van's rear bumper is close to the driveway, and a stop sign is 35 feet beyond the intersection. You have a passenger who can guide you. What do you do?
1. Is the space legal and practical? Check the hydrant, driveway, and length.
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The space is legal on the hydrant issue: the hydrant is 12 feet ahead of the front SUV, and your front bumper will be behind that SUV, so you will be more than the required 10 feet from the hydrant. The driveway is behind the van, not in the space, but you must keep your rear bumper out of the apron. The length is tight but workable: 23 feet minus 15.5 feet leaves 7.5 feet total, about 3.5 feet front and rear. Use a guide. If the space were only 18 feet, it would leave 2.5 feet total and you should not try it.
2. Describe the parking maneuver and the final wheel position on this downhill curb.
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Signal right and pull alongside the front SUV, about 2-3 feet away, with your rear bumper roughly aligned with the SUV's rear bumper. Back slowly while turning the wheel right toward the curb. When your rear is close to the curb, straighten the wheel, then turn left to swing the front in. Finish within 12 inches of the curb. Because you are facing downhill with a curb, turn the front wheels toward the curb after you stop. Set the parking brake and shift to Park, or reverse in a manual. That wheel position makes the curb block a roll-away.
3. What changes if there is no curb, or if the space is only 18 feet?
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Without a curb, turn the front wheels toward the edge of the road, not toward traffic, so a roll-away goes off the roadway rather than into the lane. Still set the parking brake. An 18-foot space leaves only 2.5 feet total for a 15.5-foot car, which is not enough to enter and exit without hitting the vehicles; choose another legal space. Also check for signs, hydrants, crosswalks, and driveways before committing. The legal minimum distance from a hydrant is 10 feet, so measure from the hydrant to the nearest point of your car, not to the space.