parking rules

When parking, if it is possible you should park off the road or in a car park, however if you find that you do have to park on the road there are several questions you should ask yourself in order to assess if the chosen location is suitable:

• Is it safe
  • Are you putting yourself or someone else in danger
• Is it legal
  • Is there a legal reason not to park, such as road markings
• Is it convenient
  • By parking here are you causing an inconvenience to other road users or pedestrians

There are many places that you should not park, it is important that you are able to identify such places before you stop to ensure that you have parked safe, legally and without causing inconvenience to others.

Highway code Rule 240 & 243 state:

Do not stop or park:

• near a school entrance
• anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services
• at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank
• on the approach to a level crossing/tramway crossing
• opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space
• near the brow of a hill or hump bridge
• opposite a traffic island or (if this would cause an obstruction) another parked vehicle
• where you would force other traffic to enter a tram lane
• where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles
• in front of an entrance to a property
• on a bend
• where you would obstruct cyclists’ use of cycle facilities

• the carriageway or the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency 
• a pedestrian crossing, including the area marked by the zig-zag lines 
• a clearway 
• taxi bays as indicated by upright signs and markings
• an Urban Clearway within its hours of operation, except to pick up or set down passengers 
• a road marked with double white lines, even when a broken white line is on your side of the road, except to pick up or set down passengers, or to load or unload goods
• a tram or cycle lane during its period of operation
• a cycle track
• red lines, in the case of specially designated ‘red routes’, unless otherwise indicated by signs. Any vehicle may enter a bus lane to stop, load or unload where this is not prohibited .