2-point turnabout on the left
Signal a left turn and pull into the driveway or alley as close to the right edge as possible (turn in wide - to assure this, wait until your outside rear view mirror splits the driveway or alley and turn full left) and pull in making sure to straighten fast so as to stay on the far right edge until the rear bumper just clears the end of the driveway, or the curb. With your car straight, after checking from both directions, turn your wheels full right and back out only into the first lane of traffic, when you are straight in your lane, straighten your wheels, stop and shift to drive and proceed.
2-point turnabout on the right
Signal a right turn before you get to the driveway or alley, stay about 2-3 feet out from the curb and parallel to it. Drive past the driveway or alley until the rear bumper is just beyond it, then stop, do a final check of traffic, turn your wheel full right. Proceed backing into the driveway watching that your car is entering without going over the curb. When you can see that the car is entering okay, then look to the front of your car. When the car is straight, or perpendicular to the street, turn your wheels quickly straight and continue backing into the driveway until the front bumper clears the curb. Shift to drive, signal left, check for traffic, and proceed out of the driveway to the left.
3-point turnabout
Signal right and go as far as you can alongside the road, signal left and check traffic, then turn your wheels full left and pull forward, driving to the edge of the road on the other side being careful not to allow more than one drive wheel to go over the edge, then turn your wheels full right, check for traffic, and back to the right edge of the roadway as far as you can, then turn your wheels full left once again, shift to drive, pull around to the right side of the road and accelerate up to speed.
U-turn
Normally done at intersections unless the street is wide enough to accommodate a complete forward turn-around after having gone as close to the right side as possible. Signal for a right turn, turn into the right lane of the cross-over street at about a 60 degree angle, pointing the middle of the front bumper toward the stop sign if one is present, entering with the right side of the car close to the point of the curb to the right and proceed until your front bumper is to the midpoint of the street, still steering toward the stop sign, then use the other half of the street to begin turning out left until you reach the other side next to the curb, making sure you have room to complete the turn out. [Basically you turn in taking half the width going in and then turn out using the second half of the width of the street, making a semi-circle, stop when you get to the other side just before the front left fender extends back out into the street (go in deep enough that by the time you turn back out, the front of the car does not extend beyond the curb, but not so deep that it does not allow you to get turned back out without going up over the curb!), signal for a left turn, check traffic from behind, and when clear, complete your turnabout.]
Angular parks (60 degree)
Stay out 5-6 feet away from the parked cars (staying in the center of the lane, since it is one-way) and begin to pull in at 3-5 mph when the outside rearview mirror is directly in line with the end of the rear bumper of the first car you wish to park next to (if on the right, you should be able to see the driver side of the first car you wish to park next to, or if on the left side, the passenger side of the first vehicle; another approach is if the front bumper is about midway between the cars, turn almost a full turn into your park), and as you enter, cover your brake so as to give you time to straighten your wheels and ascertain if you need to correct one way or the other to be centered. Always look to both cars, not just one or the other, to get centered and parallel between them, going ever slower as you approach the curb, avoiding striking the curb too hard. To exit, back straight back, checking for traffic coming from the rear, pedestrians, and cars which may also be backing out the same time you are. When the center door post is even with the rear bumper of the car you are next to and on the same side of the direction the rear end is pointing, turn your wheels full in that same direction (always turn in the same direction the rear of the car is already pointing). Back fully out into the lane until the car is straight in your lane and then turn your wheels straight before shifting to drive and proceeding.
Perpendicular parks [But not like this!]
Almost always on two-way lanes. You should stay 7-8 feet away from the parked cars in order to begin to turn in after signalling for your turn (parking on the left, stay in your right lane; parking on the right, move over to the left lane soon enough so that you are straight in that lane before you have to begin your turn). When the outside mirror splits the first car that you want to park next to, begin to turn into the space. As you pull in, stay about a foot away from the second car until your front bumper is about even with its center door post (once you see that you will clear both cars as you enter, immediately open your turn to the second car and continue to open as much as needed to maintain about a foot distance between your front bumper and the side of that car until your front bumper reaches its center door post), and then at that point pull away until your car is centered, straighten your wheels and creep forward to tag the curb - not opening your turn to the second car will almost certainly cause your car to be too close to the first car, which is hard to determine until your car is straight between them, not allowing you to get both evenly spaced and parallel between them. If you open your turn too late, your car will most likely not be straight in your space when you complete the park. To back out, check traffic from both directions and behind, determine what direction you wish to go, back out until the outside rear-view mirror splits the rear tire of the pivot car (the one on the right, if you are backing out to the left; the one on the left, if you are backing out to the right) and then begin to turn your wheels as much as the pivot car will allow in the direction that you want the rear end to go. Be careful to check your front fender for clearance and then after you are completely clear, turn your wheel quickly full in the direction you are backing, continue looking back to make sure you do not collide either with an approaching vehicle, a pedestrian, or a car parked directly behind you. Back out until the car is straight, then straighten the wheels, shift to drive, and proceed.
Parallel park
You need a space about 5 feet longer than the length of your car between the cars where you want to park. If there are no white lines marking the space, determine this by signaling right and stopping with your rear bumper even with the front bumper of the car in the back space and looking ahead from your front bumper to the rear bumper of the car in the front space to determine if you think you have that distance. After determining you have ample room, line up with the car in the front space, staying parallel and about 1-2 feet from it, continue forward until the rear bumpers are even. When you are rear bumper to rear bumper, take note where that puts your center door post in relation to the car you are now beside. From that point where your center door post lines up with the other car, mentally split the distance to its rear bumper into thirds (e.g. if your center door post is in the middle of its front door, the thirds might be just behind its center door post, then just behind where the rear door opens, then the rear bumper), and split your steering from the straight ahead position to the full right position also into thirds to correspond to the thirds into which you just divided the other car. With your wheels straight ahead, split your steering into thirds, from straight to full right [e.g. if it takes one and one forth turns from straight to get full right, that's 1 ¼ turns, so if you multiply 5/4 times 1/3, that would be 5/12...so that means when you back straight, for example, until your center door post gets to the first third just behind the center door post of the other car, turn the top of your steering wheel to the 5:00 position (since the 5/12 figure could represent 5 out of 12 hours), then back until your center door post reaches where the rear door opens on the other car (the 2nd third) and turn the top of your steering wheel to 10:00 (another 5 hours), then continue backing until the rear bumper of the other car is in your blindspot with your center door post (the last third) and turn your wheel to 3:00 (another 5 hours), or the full right position (if the steering circumference is 1 ½ turns from straight to full right, turn the top of the wheel to 6:00 for the first third, to 12:00 for the second, and again to 6:00 for the third to be full right) - so you split the car that you are next to into thirds and your steering also into thirds from straight to full right, turning at each checkpoint]. Leave the wheel full right until you can see down the complete rear bumper of the front car and now turn your wheel back to the straight ahead position. Back about 2 feet straight back and then from that point begin turning your wheel rapidly left as you continue to slowly back. When you can see that your front bumper clears the front car, then turn full left. Continue to back slowly until your car is straight between the cars, all the while looking into your rear-view mirror to make sure you don't hit the car behind you. Then, continuing to look in your rear-view mirror and straight ahead to the front car, even your distance out between the 2 cars. You should be parallel with the curb and within 12 inches of the curb when you are finished. To exit, back up until your car is about 1-2 feet from the car behind you, turn your wheels full left, signal, check your outside rear view mirror, begin to enter the traffic lane, then just before entering check your blindspot, and then merge into traffic when the way is clear.
Parking on a hill with a curb
DOWNHILL: Signal right, pull over within 12 inches of the curb, then turn your wheels slightly left to get your car parallel with the curb, turn your wheels full right, shift to neutral and barely relax the brake outward (maybe just about half-way up), coast to the curb, being careful not to strike it too hard. To exit, back off the curb 4-6 inches before straightening your wheels, check your rear view mirrors, then signal left, check your blind spot, and provided that the way is clear, merge with traffic.
UPHILL: Pull over in the same manner as downhill, when you are parallel with the curb, shift to neutral, turn your wheels left, and coast back to the curb with your foot on the brake. As with all parking, always set your parking brake before you leave the car.
Whenever you need to back and you are close to anything, your rear bumper is always key: the front does all the turning and the rear of the car simply pivots about a point. Also remember that the front of the car always swings out the opposite direction that the rear of the car is turning. Always be aware of your surroundings - note the distance your car is away from things on all sides, maintaining that awareness as the car moves - never just look to just one thing! That being said, any time the rear of the car is just in front of the point in which you need to turn, that is when you need to steer into the direction you want the rear of the car to go. If you are looking over your right shoulder to back, turn your steering wheel right, if looking over the left shoulder, turn your wheel left. Many beginning drivers confuse which way to turn, but remember: always turn the wheel in the direction the rear needs to go. Also a beginner error is to go beyond straight after the car is turned. To avoid that, go ever slower as you approach getting parallel to whatever you are next to or are backing around. Backing is an important skill and must be mastered to avoid parking lot accidents or side-swiping whatever you are backing around, or going over curbs. Don't neglect this most important skill!
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