NU12 by Kristine Raval - Solution to Parallel Parking

Driving is one tough skill, especially if you have to navigate through the narrow streets and infuriating traffic. Parking, though, is a much more difficult skill to learn because you have to learn when to stop driving and start setting the car in place at an empty spot.

In my case, it is fairly an easy job, especially parking the car backwards – this way, it would be easier for me to leave the parking area. However, my ultimate challenge is parallel parking – that's why as much as possible, I look for a parallel parking space which gives me about 2 meters clearance each at the front and back so it would be easier for me to maneuver.

But what if all parking slots in the world are aligned in a parallel manner and the only clearance we are given is about 3 inches maximum at the front and back? Then I, as well as those who are parallel parking challenged, am doomed. Perhaps not even years of practice would do me any justice. After all, the wheels of a car can only steer at an approximate maximum of 45 degrees.

Well, if there will be a perfect solution to this problem, we have to turn to the automobile companies to work on some innovation in car design. My suggestion is for them to consider that all cars be of 4-wheel drive type, so that it would be easier to turn the car when getting into a parking slot. Next design modification would be for them to make these 4-wheel drive cars to steer as much as 90 degrees so that it would be a no-brainer for every driver to park in such a small parallel parking space. So the way that the driver can park his/her car is to align the car to the allotted space and must approximate the clearance of the cars in front and at the back so that it can fit. Next is that the driver will steer the wheel to 90 degrees and put the gear in reverse so that the car can be parked perfectly. Then once the car is parked, the driver will just return the steering wheel to its normal position. Then when leaving the parking space, the driver will just have to turn the wheel again to 90 degrees and put on drive gear. It's as simple as that – as if you are just putting a book on an almost-filled bookshelf. No more worries about steering the wheel numerous times just to fit into such a small slot.<There is actually a 4 wheel steering car>   3.0

I think the car designers should consider developing this idea and actually executing it – this way it would relieve us of the stress that we feel every time we have to park in a parallel space. And yes, I would volunteer to be their first customer for that car model.