You asked: When you park on a hill, which way do you turn your wheels?
Nov 4, 2015, 1:16 PM | Updated: 1:54 pm
If the front of your car is facing downhill, the front tires should be pointed toward the curb. Do the exact opposite if parked uphill. (MyNorthwest File)
(MyNorthwest File)
Nick in Tukwila sent us this:
“Guys, settle a bet for me (tell me I’m right) which way do you turn your wheels when you park on a hill? My co-worker and I parked at the same time yesterday and I saw her get out of her car and walk away without turning her wheels at all. I jokingly mentioned it and she said, ‘You don’t have to do that anymore!'”
I’m not sure if your coworker believes that car technology has become so advanced that it now defies gravity, but she might need a refresher course.
When you are parking downhill, turn your front wheels into the curb (or side of the road if you don’t have a curb). Set the parking brake.
If you are parked facing uphill, it’s the opposite; turn your front wheels away from the curb and let your vehicle roll back a few inches. The wheel should gently touch the curb.
Either way, your car should roll into the curb.
And Nick, if your coworkers starting giving you a hard time about being the new “know-it-all” around the office, tell them this cautionary tale: The KIRO Radio studio is located at the bottom of a hill in Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood. Recently, a guy parked on the hill and didn’t turn his wheels in the right direction and you can probably guess what happened next. The emergency brake slipped (or was never set) and that truck shot down the hill. Thankfully, the vehicular missile missed cars and pedestrians, but it did make a huge hole in our fence.
