When parking uphill with a curb on your left, which direction should you turn your wheels?

• A. Turn wheels away from the curb to prevent rolling into traffic.
• B. Turn wheels toward the curb to keep vehicle against it.
• C. Leave the wheels straight.
• D. Turn the wheel toward traffic to steer into the road.

Answer: (A)

When you park on a hill, you choose wheel direction so that gravity can be stopped by the curb rather than allowing the car to roll into traffic. With a curb on the left and you’re uphill, turning the wheels away from the curb (to the right) is the safer choice. If the brakes aren’t holding, the curb provides a barrier and helps keep the vehicle from drifting into the traffic lane. Turning toward the curb could let the car roll out into the street more easily if a brake fails. If there were no curb, the usual guidance is to turn the wheels toward the edge of the road to reduce the chance of rolling into traffic.