When parking facing downhill you should…?
- Turn your front wheels towards the curb or right shoulder ✓
- Set your parking brake only
- Leave your front wheels parallel to the curb
- Turn your front wheels to the left and set your parking brake
Answer: A. Turn your front wheels towards the curb or right shoulder
When you park facing downhill, turn your front wheels toward the curb or the right shoulder.
Why this is the answer
The handbook's hill-parking rule says to turn the wheels so the vehicle can't roll into traffic. It lists turning to the right for two cases: uphill with no curb, and downhill whether or not there is a curb. So facing downhill, the wheels go right, toward the curb or shoulder. The same section also tells you to set the parking brake and leave an automatic in park, or a standard in reverse when facing downhill. Turning the wheels is the part that keeps the car from rolling into traffic.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Set your parking brake only — Setting the parking brake is only half of what the handbook asks for; it also says to turn the wheels on a hill.
- C. Leave your front wheels parallel to the curb — Leaving the wheels straight gives the vehicle nothing to catch on if it starts rolling, and the handbook calls for turning them right when downhill.
- D. Turn your front wheels to the left and set your parking brake — Turning to the left is the handbook's rule for uphill parking beside a curb, not for parking facing downhill.
Remember it
Downhill or no curb at all — point the wheels right; curb plus uphill — point them left.