When parking uphill with a curb, you turn your front wheels away from the curb (to the left in right‑hand‑traffic countries) and then gently let the car roll back until the front tire rests against the curb as a backup “chock.”

Quick Scoop: Core Rule

  • Uphill + curb: wheels away from the curb, let the tire rest lightly on the curb.
  • Uphill + no curb: wheels toward the edge of the road (usually right), so the car rolls off the roadway, not into traffic.
  • Downhill (with or without curb): wheels toward the curb/edge so the car rolls into the curb, not into traffic.

A popular way to remember it is “Up, up, and away ”: uphill = wheels away from the curb.

Why “Away” From the Curb Uphill?

Imagine your brakes fail while parked facing uphill with a curb:

  • If wheels are turned away from the curb:
    • The car rolls back.
    • The front tire quickly contacts the curb and the curb physically stops the car from rolling further into the road.
  • If wheels are mistakenly turned toward the curb:
    • The car can roll backward and potentially steer out toward the traffic lane if it hops or rides up the curb.

The whole idea is to use the curb as a solid block to keep the car from rolling into moving traffic if something goes wrong.

Extra Safety Steps (Modern Best Practice)

When parking on a hill (up or down):

  1. Turn wheels correctly (as above).
  2. Shift to Park (automatic) or 1st gear uphill / Reverse downhill (manual).
  1. Set the parking brake/handbrake firmly every time.

These layers mean even if one thing fails, the others help keep the car in place.

Forum / “Latest Discussion” Flavor

Driving forums and Q&A sites regularly see debates about this, especially people asking why you can’t just “always turn toward the curb.”

Common community explanations:

  • Uphill with curb is the only time you turn left (away) in right‑hand‑traffic regions, so people repeat mnemonics like:
    • “Uphill with curb, wheels left; everything else, wheels right.”
  • Some posters argue that “toward the curb” also seems safe, but others point out the risk of hopping the curb and ending up in the street, which is why official guides consistently say “away” when uphill with a curb.

“Uphill — \— curb; Downhill — /—/ curb. Easy peasy, works every time.” is a popular ASCII way one commenter summarized it, with the front of the car pointing uphill in both drawings.

TL;DR: When parking uphill with a curb: turn your wheels away from the curb, let the front tire rest on it, set Park/gear and parking brake, and you’ve followed the rule most driving manuals and tests expect.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.