How to Best Enter an Underground Garage

With more and more Americans living and driving in large cities, parking is an ongoing issue for citizens and city officials alike. The best way to provide maximum parking spaces in prime downtown space is a multi-level parking garage. Many office towers and apartment buildings also have underground parking garage facilities for their employees and residents respectively. It is important to follow certain guidelines for entering an underground parking garage to ensure the safety of vehicles and pedestrians.

Things You'll Need

  • Car headlights
  • Car horn
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Slow down as you prepare to turn off the street and enter the ramp for the underground parking garage. Look for pedestrians and oncoming cars, then turn slowly onto the ramp. Once you are in the garage, continue to drive slowly. Follow posted speed limit signs; if there is no posted garage speed limit, do not exceed 10 miles per hour.

    • 2

      Center the car. Many underground parking garage entrance ramps have high sides. Adjust your car so it is in the center of the ramp to avoid scraping your car along the side of the ramp.

    • 3

      Turn on your lights. If it is daylight, always assume that the underground parking garage will be darker than the street you are leaving and turn on your car's headlights. This will allow you to see where you are going once you enter the garage and allow other drivers to see your vehicle.

    • 4

      Tap your horn. This will alert other drivers in the parking garage to your car's presence. One short honk will suffice; a longer honk will annoy other drivers and anyone in the lower levels of the building.

    • 5

      Stay alert. Keep an eye out for other cars driving in the underground parking garage; they probably have right-of-way. Obey all stop and yield signs as you would on the street. Do not talk on your cell phone or send text messages while entering an underground garage.