What should you do every time you park your vehicle and turn off the engine?

It is essential to apply the parking brake every time you park your vehicle and turn off the engine to prevent it from rolling away. Engaging the parking brake secures the vehicle in place, especially on inclined surfaces, and reduces the risk of accidents or damage that could occur if the vehicle were to move unintentionally.

While leaving the emergency lights on can alert others to your parked vehicle and turning the wheels towards the curb can provide additional safety measures, neither of these steps is a substitute for applying the parking brake. Checking the tire pressure is also important for overall vehicle maintenance but is not a necessary action immediately after parking. Thus, applying the parking brake is the most critical step for vehicle safety when parking.