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Question

Difficulty: MediumWaiting and Parking

You are parking a manual transmission car facing downhill on a steep street with a kerb on your left. In addition to applying the parking brake firmly, what should you do to prevent the vehicle from rolling forward?

  1. A
    Turn the steering wheel away from the kerb and select first gear
  2. Turn the steering wheel towards the kerb and select reverse gearAnswer
  3. C
    Keep the front wheels straight and leave the gear lever in neutral
  4. D
    Turn the steering wheel towards the kerb and leave the gear lever in neutral

Answer

Turn the steering wheel towards the kerb and select reverse gear
Under Highway Code Rule 252, when parking facing downhill on an incline with a kerb, you should firmly apply the handbrake, turn the front wheels towards the kerb, and select reverse gear. The kerb acts as a physical barrier to catch the tyres if the brake slips, and reverse gear uses engine compression to prevent the wheels from turning forward.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the vehicle orientation and slope direction
The car is parked facing downhill alongside a kerb.
Parking procedures on hills depend on whether the vehicle is pointing uphill or downhill and whether a kerb is present.
2
Determine the correct steering wheel position according to Highway Code Rule 252
Turn the steering wheel towards the kerb (to the left when parked on the left).
If the parking brake fails, the front tyres will roll into the kerb and halt the vehicle rather than allowing it to roll into the road.
3
Select the appropriate transmission gear to resist forward motion
Select reverse gear in a manual vehicle.
Reverse gear provides mechanical engine braking resistance against forward rotation of the drive wheels.

Key Concept

Highway Code Rule 252 Hill Parking Procedures
Estimated Time:50s
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Topics

Waiting and Parking

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