Angle Parking: How to Park in an Angled Space

Angle parking, or angled parking, is the easy one to get into and the awkward one to get out of. The spaces point the way you’re already driving, so going in takes one smooth turn. Leaving means reversing out at a slant, with the cars next to you blocking your view of the aisle. Most of the care goes into the second half.

How to angle park, step by step

The steps above come from the Georgia Department of Driver Services’ parent/teen driving guide. Here’s what each one looks like from the driver’s seat.

1. Approach from the right direction

Angled spaces only work one way: they slant toward the traffic they’re meant for. If you’re driving along and the spaces point back at you, you’re on the wrong side or in a one-way aisle the wrong way round. Follow the arrows. Then signal and stay about 3–4 feet from the ends of the parked cars. That’s closer than for a 90-degree space, because you don’t need to swing as wide.

2. Turn when the steering wheel reaches the first line

Watch the near line of the space you want, the one you reach first. When your steering wheel, roughly where you’re sitting, is level with it, turn into the space. Georgia’s guide says to turn sharply at a slow, controlled speed. In practice you rarely need full lock for a 45° space; a quick turn of about one full rotation is often enough. Check the front corner on the far side as it swings past the next car.

3. Aim for the middle and straighten up

Look at the far end of the space, not at the lines either side. Steer so you’re heading at its middle, and unwind the wheel as the car comes in line with the space. If one side is clearly tighter, stop and reverse a little to fix it now. Once you’re all the way in, there’s no room to correct.

4. Stop short of the curb

Georgia’s guide says to stop with the front bumper 3–6 inches from the curb or the end of the space. Your front overhang reaches the curb before your tires do, so stop early if you can’t see it.

45-degree vs 60-degree angle parking

The steeper the space, the more it behaves like a 90-degree space. You’ll need to turn a little later and a little more.

• 45°: the gentlest angle. Turn when your steering wheel lines up with the first line; you’ll probably use well under full lock.
• 60°: wait slightly longer, until you’re a little past the first line, and turn more firmly. Go slower near the car on the far side, since the front corner comes closer to it.

How to back out of an angled space

Georgia’s guide gives this method for leaving:

1. Foot on the brake, signal, and shift to reverse.
2. Check traffic and back straight out until your front seat is level with the back bumper of the car on the side you’re turning toward. Then start turning the wheel the way you want the back of the car to go.
3. Keep checking traffic as you reverse, and watch the front bumper on the other side, because it swings toward the car next to you.
4. When the front bumper is several feet clear of that car, stop and shift to drive.

The tricky part is the first few feet. The car beside you, especially a van or SUV, puts the aisle in your blind spot until your rear is already sticking out. Creep back slowly, and stop if anything’s coming.

Rear-to-kerb angle parking

Some streets ask you to reverse into angled spaces instead. In Australia this is shown by an “Angle parking — rear to kerb” sign. Without a sign or markings saying otherwise, Transport for NSW says you must angle park at 45 degrees with the front of the car to the kerb.

Some US cities use “back-in angle parking” too. It takes a bit more care to get in, but when you leave you drive out forwards with a clear view of the road. To get in, pull past the space, signal, and reverse in, much as you would backing into a 90-degree space.

Angled parking dimensions

Sizes are set by each city, so there’s no national standard. As an example, here’s Salt Lake City’s standard for an 8’3” wide stall:

The aisle column is the useful one for drivers. A 45° row gets by with an aisle around 10 feet narrower than a 90° row, because you don’t need to swing the car round as far. That’s also why angled rows are hard to use from the wrong direction: there isn’t room to turn into them.