When parking downhill with a curb, how should your wheels be oriented?

• A. Away from the curb
• B. Parallel to the curb
• C. Diagonal toward the curb
• D. Toward the curb

Answer: (D)

Turning the wheels toward the curb when you park downhill uses the curb as a barrier. If the parking brake slips, the front tires will catch the curb and stop the car from rolling into the street. This setup prevents movement into traffic, which is the risk when the wheels aren’t directed toward a stop. If you turned away from the curb, the car could roll forward and into traffic if the brake release occurs. When there’s no curb, you’d generally turn the wheels toward the edge of the road to reduce the chance of rolling into traffic.