Final answer:
When parking facing downhill on a road with a curb, you should turn your front wheels towards the curb. This preventive measure ensures your vehicle would roll into the curb and stop if it were to move, for safety and as often required by law.
Step-by-step explanation:
When you park facing downhill on the right side of a road with a curb, the correct position for your front wheels is to turn them towards the curb. This action ensures that if your vehicle were to move, it would roll into the curb, which would act as a stop and prevent it from rolling into traffic. This parking strategy is not only a recommendation for safety but is often required by law to minimize the dangers associated with uncontrolled vehicles moving into roads and causing accidents.
The reasoning behind this advice is based on simple principles of physics and safety. If a parked vehicle were to start rolling downhill due to gravity, having the wheels turned towards the curb would direct the vehicle to move in a direction away from the road and into the curb. This could potentially stop the vehicle or at least slow it down significantly, reducing the risk of the vehicle entering into the flow of traffic. Alternatively, if the wheels were turned away from the curb or left parallel, the vehicle could gain momentum and pose a serious hazard.
Remember that when parking on a decline, it is equally important to engage the parking brake firmly. Together, turning your wheels towards the curb and using your parking brake are important safety measures. They represent two critical facets of responsible vehicle management and adhere to principles of safety and physics that aim to protect not only your property but also the well-being of other road users and pedestrians.