As you back into a parallel parking space, where does the manual tell you to look?
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A.
Through the rear window Correct
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B.
Through the passenger window
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C.
In the rear-view mirror
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D.
In the driver's side mirror
The answer is "Through the rear window"
The manual is explicit: look through the rear window, not the mirrors, while you back up. Mirrors are what a driver reaches for in almost every other backing situation, and that everyday habit is what makes C tempting; the manual singles out parallel parking as the case where you turn your head instead.
The traps in the wrong answers
B. Through the passenger window
The passenger window faces the curb, which does not tell you what is behind the car. This answer confuses the window you look through with the direction you glance for pedestrians before starting.
C. In the rear-view mirror
The rear-view mirror does not show what is directly behind and below your bumper. This answer applies the everyday backing habit of using mirrors, which the manual specifically rules out here.
D. In the driver's side mirror
The side mirror shows the curb line but not the whole space, so it cannot guide the maneuver alone. This answer extends a partial cue into the full answer, when the manual asks for direct sight through the rear window.
This question tests your knowledge of Parking in New York. Source: New York State Driver's Manual, "How to Park (Chapter 7 - Parallel Parking)," p.42..
Related New York questions
- After you have finished parallel parking, how far may your wheels sit from the curb according to the manual? →
- You pull alongside the vehicle parked in front of your target space. How much room does the manual tell you to leave between the two vehicles before you begin backing in? →
- The manual tells you to turn your wheels toward the curb after you park on a hill. What reason does it give? →
- You are backing into a parallel space and your front wheels come opposite the back bumper of the vehicle ahead. What does the manual say to do at that point? →
- Under what condition may you park in a space reserved for people with disabilities? →
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