How to park on a hill (correctly)

How to park on a hill (uphill or downhill)

Step one is always going to be the same: park the car just like you normally would. Be careful with the gas and brake, especially if you’re parallel parking near other vehicles — gravity is trying to move your car, too.

Park with the tires no more than 30 centimetres from the curb (if there is one).¹ Once you’ve got your car situated, turn the wheel before you shut the ignition off. If there’s a curb, you can let the car roll until the tires gently bump the curb.

Now, the important question:

Which way do you turn the wheels?

When parking on a hill, you’ll turn the wheels in a different direction depending on two things: whether you’re facing uphill or downhill, and whether there’s a curb.

Downhill (with curb)	Uphill (with curb)	Downhill (no curb)	Uphill (no curb)
Right	Left	Right	Right

To sum up, turn your wheels to the right if you’re parking downhill. If you’re facing uphill, turn them to the left if you’re against a curb, or to the right if there’s no curb.

Why do it this way? It’s so that if the brakes fail and the car starts to roll, it will bump into the curb, which will stop it. If there’s no curb, the car will roll away from the road, rather into passing traffic.

After turning the wheels correctly, finish by engaging the parking brake (a.k.a. handbrake or emergency brake) and shifting the transmission into the correct gear. This process differs between automatic and manual transmissions:

Whether manual or automatic, always engage the parking brake while parked on a slope.

Hill parking regulations

There are obvious safety reasons for turning wheels and using parking brakes on slopes — but there are legal reasons, too. In some provinces, legislation actually requires you to turn the wheels when you park on a hill.

For example, BC’s Motor Vehicle Act states that vehicles standing on a grade must have their front wheels turned “to the curb or side of the highway.”² Quebec’s Highway Safety Code requires the use of the parking brake in addition to turning the wheels.³ Failing to follow these regulations can result in a ticket.

Not every jurisdiction has laws about how to park on hills. Nevertheless, parking properly is easy and it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Commonly asked questions

Can I get a ticket for parking on a hill wrong?

In some provinces, yes, you may receive a ticket for parking incorrectly on a hill. For example, in BC, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and other provinces, the law specifies that you must take certain precautions when parking on a hill. At a minimum, this includes turning the wheels to avoid the car rolling into traffic. You may also be required to engage the parking brake.

What gear should I leave the car in when I park on a hill?

If your vehicle has a manual transmission, shift into first gear when the car is facing uphill, or reverse when it’s facing downhill. With an automatic transmission, make sure the car is in park (P). In either case, engage the parking brake as well.

Sources

1. Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. “Learn to drive smart.” icbc.com, www.icbc.com/assets/en/63cHBOAVpOAQGOOMBFhFbL/driver-full.pdf. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.
2. Motor Vehicle Act. “RSBC 1996, c 318, s 191(2).” bclaws.gov.bc.ca, bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96318_00_multi. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.
3. Highway Safety Code. “CQLR c C-24.2, s 383.” canlii.ca, canlii.org/en/qc/laws/stat/cqlr-c-c-24.2/latest/cqlr-c-c-24.2.html. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

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