A driver parks a vehicle on a narrow rural road facing downhill on a steep grade with no raised curb along the roadway edge. To ensure the vehicle remains safely secured and prevented from rolling into traffic if the mechanical parking brake fails, which combination of actions must the driver take before exiting?
- Turn the front wheels sharply toward the right (toward the side of the road), firmly engage the parking brake, and place the transmission in Reverse (or Park for automatic).Answer
- BTurn the front wheels sharply toward the left (toward the center of the road), firmly engage the parking brake, and place the transmission in Low gear (or Park for automatic).
- CKeep the front wheels pointed straight ahead, firmly engage the parking brake, and leave the transmission in Neutral.
- DTurn the front wheels sharply toward the right (toward the side of the road), release the parking brake slightly to settle tire tension, and place the transmission in First gear.
Answer
Turn the front wheels sharply toward the right (toward the side of the road), firmly engage the parking brake, and place the transmission in Reverse (or Park for automatic).
When securing a vehicle parked downhill on a road without a curb, turning the front tires to the right directs any unintended forward motion off the road onto the shoulder. Combining this tire orientation with a fully set parking brake and engaging Reverse gear (or Park) provides complete mechanical redundancy.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Hill Parking Procedures and Wheel Positioning Mechanics