Hill Parking · Uphill and Downhill
How to Position Your Wheels
When parked on a hill, turning the wheels in the correct direction prevents the vehicle from rolling into traffic. The direction depends on whether the vehicle is facing uphill or downhill, and also whether a curb is present. Because there are four possible scenarios, it is important to know each one. Therefore, follow the steps below so that you are prepared for each situation. Preparing for your road test? Read our complete guide on how to pass the ICBC road test in Victoria BC.
Step-by-Step Guide
Parking Uphill
Follow These Steps
1
Check your mirrors
2
Signal for a right turn
3
Right shoulder check
4
Bring the vehicle parallel to the curb, within 30 cm
5
Turn wheels left, let the vehicle roll back slowly until the front tire touches the curb
6
Stop and select first gear (standard) or Park (automatic)
7
Apply the parking brake fully
Key rule: Wheels turned left away from the curb. If the brake fails, the curb catches the rear tire and stops the vehicle from rolling downhill.
Follow These Steps
1
Check your mirrors
2
Signal for a right turn
3
Right shoulder check
4
Bring the vehicle parallel to the edge of the road
5
Turn wheels right toward the shoulder — away from traffic
6
Stop and select first gear (standard) or Park (automatic)
7
Apply the parking brake fully
Key rule: No curb means wheels turn right toward the shoulder. If the brake fails, the vehicle rolls off the road rather than back into traffic.
Step-by-Step Guide
Parking Downhill
Follow These Steps
1
Check your mirrors
2
Signal for a right turn
3
Right shoulder check
4
Bring the vehicle parallel to the curb, within 30 cm
5
Turn wheels right, slowly moving forward until the front tire touches the curb
6
Apply the parking brake fully
Key rule: Wheels turned right into the curb — if the brake fails, the curb stops the vehicle from rolling into traffic.
Follow These Steps
1
Check your mirrors
2
Signal for a right turn
3
Right shoulder check
4
Bring the vehicle parallel to the edge of the road
5
Turn wheels right toward the shoulder — away from traffic
6
Apply the parking brake fully
Key rule: No curb means wheels turn right toward the shoulder — if the brake fails, the vehicle rolls off the road, not into traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hill Parking
Common questions about uphill and downhill parking in BC
Think about what happens if your parking brake fails while you are parked facing uphill. The vehicle starts rolling backward down the hill. If your wheels are turned left and away from the curb, the car rolls back a few centimetres and the front tire catches the curb. The curb stops the car. That is the whole idea. The curb becomes your backup in case the brake gives out. That is the only situation where you turn away from the curb. In every other scenario the logic works differently, but this one makes the most sense once you picture the car actually rolling.
The curb is only useful here if it is tall enough to physically catch your tire. A low or sloped curb will not stop the car. See the question below about which curbs actually count.
There are four hill parking situations. Three of them have the same answer: turn your wheels toward the edge of the road, away from traffic. One is different: uphill with a full curb, turn left away from the curb. Learn that one exception and the rest is straightforward. Here is the full breakdown:
| Situation | Wheels |
|---|---|
| Downhill with a curb | Right toward curb |
| Downhill without a curb | Right, toward the edge of the road |
| Uphill without a curb | Right, toward the edge of the road |
| Uphill with a full curb | Left away from curb |
Important: the uphill with curb rule only works if the curb is tall enough to physically stop your tire. A low, sloped or mountable curb will not catch a rolling vehicle. If you are unsure whether the curb is tall enough, treat it as no curb and turn your wheels toward the edge of the road, away from traffic. That is the safer call in every borderline situation.
This is one of the most important questions about hill parking and it rarely gets asked. Not every curb will stop your car from rolling. The only curb that works is one tall enough to physically catch your tire if the vehicle starts moving.
Ask yourself one question when you pull up: could my car roll over that curb without much resistance? If yes, that curb will not stop the vehicle. Treat the situation as if there is no curb and turn your wheels toward the edge of the road, away from traffic.
Low curbs, sloped curbs and the kind you can drive over in a parking lot entrance without even feeling them do not count. A full upright curb is the only one that can catch a rolling tire. It is the kind you would bump noticeably into if you pulled too far forward when parallel parking.
Victoria has both types on the same streets. Some residential areas near Gordon Head and Saanich have shallow drainage-style curbs that look like curbs but will not stop a rolling vehicle. When in doubt, turn right. It is the safer default in every situation where the curb is not clearly full height.
Ask yourself one question when you pull up: could my car roll over that curb without much resistance? If yes, that curb will not stop the vehicle. Treat the situation as if there is no curb and turn your wheels toward the edge of the road, away from traffic.
Low curbs, sloped curbs and the kind you can drive over in a parking lot entrance without even feeling them do not count. A full upright curb is the only one that can catch a rolling tire. It is the kind you would bump noticeably into if you pulled too far forward when parallel parking.
Victoria has both types on the same streets. Some residential areas near Gordon Head and Saanich have shallow drainage-style curbs that look like curbs but will not stop a rolling vehicle. When in doubt, turn right. It is the safer default in every situation where the curb is not clearly full height.
The simple test: if you could drive a shopping trolley over it without it tipping, it will not stop your car on a hill. Turn your wheels toward the edge of the road and park as if there is no curb.
Without the parking brake, the vehicle is only held by the transmission. On any slope that is not reliable enough. The vehicle can roll into traffic, into other parked cars or toward pedestrians. Apply the parking brake each time you park on a hill. Build the same habit of releasing it before driving away. Forgetting to release it is also a marked error on an ICBC road test evaluation. Both ends of the habit matter.
For a standard (manual) transmission, use first gear when facing uphill and reverse when facing downhill. Both use engine compression to add resistance against rolling. For an automatic transmission, select Park. In both cases apply the parking brake fully as well, because gear selection alone is not enough on a steep hill. Think of the gear as a backup, not the main system.
Hill parking may come up on road tests across all of these licence classes. For Class 7 and Class 5, ICBC's official Learn to Drive Smart guide lists hill parking as one of the manoeuvres the examiner may ask for. For Class 4 Restricted and Unrestricted, hill parking applies as a general BC road rule and the examiner may ask for it during the road test. Here is how it applies per class:
| Licence Class | Hill Parking |
|---|---|
| Class 7 (N test) | Officially listed as a manoeuvre the examiner may ask for. Confirmed in ICBC Learn to Drive Smart guide Chapter 9. |
| Class 5 (full licence) | Officially listed as a manoeuvre the examiner may ask for. From summer 2026 most N drivers moving to Class 5 will no longer need a second road test, making the N test the main gating moment. |
| Class 4 Restricted (Uber, Lyft, taxi, ambulance) | Applies under the BC Motor Vehicle Act. The examiner may ask for it during the road test. Same wheel direction rules apply as for Class 5 and 7. |
| Class 4 Unrestricted (bus, HandyDART) | Applies under the BC Motor Vehicle Act. The Class 4 Unrestricted test includes a pre-trip inspection followed by the road test drive. Hill parking may come up during the road test. The larger vehicle makes correct wheel placement more important due to a wider turning radius. |
The core rule is the same across all classes. Wheels toward the edge of the road in three of four scenarios. Wheels away from the curb only when facing uphill with a full upright curb.
ICBC requires you to park within 30 centimetres of the curb. This applies to parallel parking, stall parking, uphill parking and downhill parking. Parking more than 30 centimetres away is a marked error on your road test. You do not need to physically touch the curb with your tires. The wheel just needs to be turned fully in the correct direction with your vehicle within that 30 centimetre margin. Do not cover any pavement markings when you stop.
Yes. Before pulling over for hill parking, check your mirrors, then signal right, then do a right shoulder check to clear your blind spot. This is the same pull over sequence the examiner expects for any side of road stop. Missing the shoulder check is one of the most common reasons students lose marks on the ICBC road test, including during parking manoeuvres. After you stop and complete the hill parking sequence, cancel your signal if it has not already done so.
They are two different skills and both may appear on the ICBC road test. Hill parking is the manoeuvre of pulling over and stopping safely on a slope. It covers wheel direction, parking brake and gear selection. A hill start is moving off from a stopped position on a hill without rolling backward into traffic. On an automatic transmission the hill start is mostly about brake release timing. On a manual transmission it requires coordinating the clutch and gas to avoid stalling or rolling. ICBC lists them separately on the official manoeuvres list.
Yes, and this is the more important reason to learn it properly. Victoria has hills throughout the city. Cook Street Village, Fort Street, Esquimalt Road and many Gordon Head residential streets all have grades where hill parking comes up regularly. If the parking brake fails and the wheels are pointed the wrong way, the vehicle rolls into traffic. Getting the wheel direction right is not just a road test skill. It is what keeps your vehicle where you left it and other people safe around it.
The road test motivates you to learn it. Real life is the reason it matters every time you park on a slope from that point on.
The examiner will not say "I am now testing your hill parking." They may say something like "pull over when you can and park as if you are leaving the car." They may also say "pull over here and park as if you are leaving the car overnight." That is your signal. You need to recognise that you are on a hill and apply everything yourself without being told.
When you hear that direction, here is the full sequence in order:
When you hear that direction, here is the full sequence in order:
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Check your mirrors |
| 2 | Signal right |
| 3 | Right shoulder check |
| 4 | Pull over and stop completely within 30 centimetres of the curb |
| 5 | Look at the road. Are you facing uphill or downhill? Is there a full curb or not? |
| 6 | Turn the steering wheel all the way to the lock in the correct direction |
| 7 | Apply the parking brake fully |
| 8 | Select the correct gear. Park for automatic, first gear facing uphill or reverse facing downhill for manual |
| 9 | Cancel your signal if it has not already done so |
Step 5 is the one that catches students off guard. The examiner gives the direction before you reach the hill. By the time you stop you need to know your situation. Is it uphill or downhill? Full curb or not? Know that before you touch the steering wheel.
After you stop. This feels unnatural because turning while still moving feels easier, but on a road test it is marked as poor steering control. Stop completely, then turn the steering wheel all the way to the lock. A half turn is not enough.
Stop first. Then turn. All the way to the lock.
Most students practise the parking part and forget the leaving part. The examiner assesses both. Here is the correct leaving sequence:
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Release the parking brake |
| 2 | Check your mirrors |
| 3 | Signal left |
| 4 | Left shoulder check to clear your blind spot |
| 5 | Move off smoothly. The wheels will straighten naturally as you steer back into the lane |
| 6 | Cancel your signal once you are in the lane |
Do not straighten the wheels before you move. Steer back into the lane as you go. Forgetting to release the parking brake before driving is also a marked error on the road test. Build the habit of checking it every time you pull away from any parked position.
This combines two skills into one situation. You do the parallel park first, then you secure the vehicle for the hill. Most students practise them separately and forget that both apply at the same time.
Complete your parallel park normally. Mirror, signal, shoulder check, reverse into the space, position within 30 centimetres of the curb. Once you are straight and stopped, you then apply the hill parking steps on top.
For a road test, stop completely first. Then turn the wheels all the way to the lock in the correct direction. Apply the parking brake and select the correct gear.
Complete your parallel park normally. Mirror, signal, shoulder check, reverse into the space, position within 30 centimetres of the curb. Once you are straight and stopped, you then apply the hill parking steps on top.
For a road test, stop completely first. Then turn the wheels all the way to the lock in the correct direction. Apply the parking brake and select the correct gear.
| Situation | After you stop and straighten up |
|---|---|
| Downhill with curb | Turn wheels right toward curb. Apply parking brake. Select Park or reverse for manual. |
| Uphill with curb | Turn wheels left away from curb. Apply parking brake. Select Park or first gear for manual. |
| Downhill no curb | Turn wheels right toward edge of road. Apply parking brake. Select Park or reverse for manual. |
| Uphill no curb | Turn wheels right toward edge of road. Apply parking brake. Select Park or first gear for manual. |
The examiner watches both parts. A clean parallel park with no hill securing steps at the end is still a marked error. You are not done until the wheels are turned, the brake is on and the gear is selected.