Chocks are a safety device you can put against your tyre to hold your car still.
You can use chocks as a precaution with any car, old or modern.
Chocks should:
- be angled between 35° and 45°
- be a minimum of 25 percent as tall as the tyre it is placed against
- be at least 75 percent of the width of the tyre
- not deform when used.
Wheel chocks are available from vehicle accessory stores. They often come with a curved surface to match the tyre circumference and friction material underneath between the chock and ground.
How do I use wheel chocks?
- Park the car and firmly apply the handbrake (if your handbrake is of the lever type). Keep your foot on the brake pedal to make sure the car doesn’t move.
- Get another person to install the chocks while keeping your foot on the brake pedal. The person installing the chocks should stay in a place where they are safe from any movement of the car.
- Make sure the chocks are in the correct position – centred on the tyre.
Where to put the chocks
- On an uphill slope put them behind the rear wheels.
- On a downhill slope put them in front of the front wheels on the slope.
- On a flat surface put them on both sides of the tyre.
How to remove the chocks
- Move the car clear of the chocks by moving the car slightly.
- Have another person pick them up while the driver holds the car still using the foot brake.
