Driver's License Test Prep
California Practice Parking

You are looking for a spot to parallel park. How much longer than your vehicle should the space be?

  1. A.
    At least one foot longer.
  2. B.
    At least half a vehicle-length longer.
  3. C.
    At least three feet longer. Correct
The Why

The answer is "At least three feet longer."

The manual sets three feet as the minimum extra length for a parallel space. A test-taker who picks one foot is drawing on a tight-urban parking habit, where drivers squeeze into any gap that looks close enough, instead of the specific three-foot floor the manual sets.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. At least one foot longer.

One foot leaves too little room to maneuver in; the manual sets three feet. This answer copies a tight-urban parking habit where drivers push into any gap that looks close enough.

B. At least half a vehicle-length longer.

Half a vehicle-length is not a figure the manual uses for parallel parking. This answer substitutes a rule of thumb from driving-school shorthand for the three-foot minimum the manual actually sets.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Parking in California. Source: California Driver Manual, "Parallel Parking," p.26..

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