When parking your vehicle downhill on a two-way street:
Answers
Turn your wheels to the right.
Turn your wheels to the left.
Keep your wheels pointed straight ahead.
Leave your transmission in neutral.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is: Turn your wheels to the right.
Explanation:
When parking your vehicle downhill on a two-way street, it is important to take precautions to prevent the vehicle from rolling into traffic if the parking brake fails. By turning the wheels in the right direction, the vehicle will roll safely off the curb (if there is one) and towards the edge of the street, instead of into oncoming traffic.
Here’s why turning the wheels to the right is the correct approach:
- Preventing Rollaway: When parking on a downhill slope, turning your wheels to the right ensures that if the car rolls, it will move toward the curb or roadside rather than into the street. This significantly reduces the risk of the vehicle rolling into traffic or causing accidents.
- Effective Safety Mechanism: The curb or roadside provides a barrier that prevents the car from continuing its movement. This method is especially effective in preventing accidents in situations where the parking brake might fail. Even if the brake fails, the vehicle will encounter the curb and stop.
- Legal Requirements: In many places, it is a legal requirement to turn your wheels toward the curb when parking downhill. This rule applies in both urban and rural settings where streets can be narrow, and traffic flow might be disrupted by a rolling vehicle.
Incorrect Answers:
- Turn your wheels to the left: This is not the correct action for parking downhill. Turning your wheels to the left would cause the vehicle to roll into traffic if the brake fails, which can lead to serious accidents.
- Keep your wheels pointed straight ahead: This is also unsafe. With no direction for the vehicle to roll in, it may roll into traffic, especially on a steep incline.
- Leave your transmission in neutral: Leaving the vehicle in neutral is dangerous and illegal in most places. The vehicle must be in park or in gear (if it’s a manual transmission) to ensure the vehicle doesn’t roll. The parking brake should also be engaged.