Several people tend to be absolute professionals when it comes to driving and to handle the vehicle on the streets but end up lacking when it comes to parking the car. The numbers of accidents that occur when parking a car are unbelievable. Collateral of bad parking is the chance of damaging the vehicles present around.
To help prevent this scenario from occurring with any car owner, we have put together a list of tips an individual can follow while parking their car so that they can avoid any damage or accidents.
9 Tips on Parking a Car in 2021
1: Take it slow
It does not matter the number of people honking at you or giving you a dirty look, always make sure to take your time when parking. Taking it slow allows you to avoid any damages to your vehicle or the cars present around yours. Another great tip when parking is to fold your mirrors when finished parking so you reduce your likelihood of damaging your vehicle and avoid other cars scratching into you.
2: Look around you
Looking around goes without saying, pay attention to your surroundings when parking in an area, crowded or otherwise. Looking left and right might be the norm, but make sure to position your mirror in such a way that it provides you with a clear view of the happenings behind the car.
It is to avoid any chances of backing your car into an innocent pedestrian passing by or another vehicle that decided to back out right that moment.
3: Do not assume that the other person will stop or slow down
When parking, chances are other cars are doing the same, a pedestrian walking through, or a cyclist taking a shortcut. It would not end well to assume that the other person would slow down or stop for you to finish parking your car. Therefore, it would be for the best to wait for them to move a safe distance from you before you proceed to park your vehicle.
Read Also: How to remove car scratches easily
4: Park away from others
Although this might be difficult to follow if you live or work in a densely populated area, it could be a handy tip to park safely. But it could be advantageous if you arrived early or in hours where the rush would not be there to make it exceedingly troublesome to park your vehicle.
Parking away would help avoid all chances of crashing into a car backing out or running into a pedestrian that decided to pop out of nowhere or that one notorious cyclist you end up seeing when it is too late.
5: Park smarter
It will come as a surprise if there are no apps present at the tip of your finger to help you park smarter. Several applications in the market help you park in such a way to avoid all hazards.
These parking applications help you find vacant parking spots around your city; it also tells you if it is legal to park in a space or not. Some apps even help you remember the place you left your car in, very helpful when parking in a vast parking complex or a multi-level basement.
6: The tennis ball trick
We have tips to follow when parking in public, what about parking in the garage? The times you have miscalculated the space and crashed into an unsuspecting object could be embarrassing.
Here is where the tennis ball trick comes into play. Tie a tennis ball from the ceiling at the right spot where it barely touches the windshield of your car while telling you the right place to stop at to prevent crashing into the objects of the vehicle.
Read Also: 5 Best Vehicle Theft Prevention Tips
7: Think about getting out
Parking should not be only about getting it done but instead make a game plan in your mind about how you can get out of the spot, will it be easy? A common mistake that takes place when in a hurry would be to park your car haphazardly without taking into consideration if you would be able to take it out.
8: Pick the first spot
When a study was conducted on the behavior of people while parking, it was determined that people who park at the first spot they pick tent to spend less time doing so than people who look around for the perfect place.
Not only does this reduce the time taken in parking your vehicle, but it also helps you to get to the place you intended to faster. People who pick spots correctly to their tastes do so paying no attention to whether it is closer to the entrance or more comfortable to get out. Instead, they do so based on the cars present at that particular moment.
Also, it is recommended to install a parking camera inside your car. Parking Camera is an important Gadget of 2021.
9: Practice makes perfect
Despite all these tips on parking, the ultimate way to park efficiently would be to practice. When you do an activity numerous times, it becomes a memory that guides you to do it automatically. Hence, despite all the precautions you take, practicing would be the best one.