Parking on a hill has a rule that trips up a lot of new drivers, and it shows up on the G1 test. The idea is simple: turn your front wheels so that if the car ever rolls, it rolls into the curb or off the road instead of into traffic. Here is the rule for each situation, plus the steps that keep the car in place.<\/p>\n
When you are parked facing downhill, turn your front wheels toward the curb. If the brakes let go, the front wheel rolls into the curb and stops the car within a few centimetres. Turn the wheel to the right so the tire points at the curb, then straighten your foot off the brake slowly to check that the car holds.<\/p>\n
Facing uphill next to a curb, do the opposite. Turn your front wheels away from the curb, then let the car roll back a little so the back of the front tire settles against the curb. Now the curb blocks the car from rolling downhill. This is the case most drivers get backwards, so picture the tire settling against the curb before you leave.<\/p>\n
On a hill with no curb, uphill or downhill, turn your front wheels toward the edge of the road. If the car rolls, it heads for the shoulder and away from traffic rather than out into the lane. This one rule covers both directions when there is nothing to catch the wheel, so it is worth remembering on its own.<\/p>\n
Turning the wheels is your backup, not your main defence. Set the parking brake every time you park on a slope, and leave an automatic in Park or a manual in gear. Doing both means a single failure never leaves the car free to roll. Where you choose to stop matters too, so check where you cannot park or stop in Ontario<\/a> before you pull over on a grade.<\/p>\n If the wheel directions blur together, use one picture: your tires should point where a runaway car would do the least harm. Facing downhill, that means into the curb. Facing uphill with a curb, it means back against the curb. With no curb at all, it means off toward the shoulder. Get the picture right and you do not have to memorize left and right at all, because the safe direction is the one that keeps the car off the road.<\/p>\n The G1 knowledge test asks about hill parking because a runaway car is a real hazard, and the fix is a habit you can build now. Remember toward the curb downhill, away from the curb uphill, and toward the edge when there is no curb, and you will not be caught by one of the common mistakes that fail the G1 test<\/a>.<\/p>\n Keep reading:<\/strong> Ontario speed limits explained<\/a> and right of way in Ontario explained<\/a>.<\/p>\nA quick way to remember it<\/h2>\n
Why parking on a hill is on the test<\/h2>\n