Stopping and parking: what’s the difference?
You’re behind the wheel and looking for a park on a busy street. You find a free space and start to pull over.
It’s at that moment you notice a sign with the letter ‘P’ in a red circle cut through with a diagonal line – the universal symbol for no.
Can you legally come to a stop here?
In a recent sa move parking quiz, less than half of respondents were aware they could stop their vehicle at a ‘No parking’ sign (above) for up to two minutes when picking up or dropping off passengers.
Almost 40 per cent thought they couldn’t stop here at all for any length of time.
So, what’s the difference between a ‘no stopping’ sign and ‘no parking’ sign? Read on to find out.
No stopping
The sign: ‘No stopping’ signs display a letter S within a red circle and an arrow or arrows indicating the zone direction. The S stand for both ‘no standing’ and ‘no stopping’.
The rules: When there’s a ‘no stopping’ sign present, you must not bring your vehicle to a stop and you can’t remain stationary for any period of time in the zone even to pick up or drop off passengers or goods. Stopping in a line of traffic or due to congestion are exemptions to this, however, you still must not drop off or pick up passengers or goods during this time.
Sometimes, the sign might specify certain hours or days when stopping isn’t allowed. Outside of these times, refer to other signs in the vicinity to find out if parking or stopping is permitted.
The fine: $114 and if issued by SA Police, an additional $102 Victims of Crime Levy.
No parking
The sign: ‘No parking’ signs display a letter P within the red circle and an arrow or arrows indicating the zone direction.
The rules: Despite the sign stating ‘No parking’, you can in fact park by this sign briefly. Unless a different time is specified on the sign, you can stop your vehicle for a maximum of two minutes to drop off or pick up passengers or goods. The car can’t be left unattended, which means the driver needs to remain within three metres of the vehicle during this time.
Sometimes, the sign might specify certain hours or days when parking isn’t allowed. Outside of these times, refer to other signs in the area to know if any other parking controls apply.
The fine: $96 and if issued by SA Police, an additional $102 Victims of Crime Levy.
Bonus sign: Clearway
The sign: A clearway sign has a letter C with red background, the days and times the zone is in operation. Further down the road, an ‘end clearway’ sign will be in place indicating the end of the zone.
The rules: Parking and stopping aren’t allowed during the days and times specified on the sign. Clearway zones are usually in place during peak traffic use on a particular road. Outside of these times, refer to other signs in the vicinity to know whether parking or stopping is permitted.
The fine: $319 and if issued by SA Police, an additional $102 Victims of Crime Levy.
Exemptions
There are a few instances where stopping and parking rules don’t apply. These include:
- to avoid a collision
- if your car breaks down and can’t be moved to a safer place
- in the event of a medical emergency
- to obey the directions of a police officer.
Now that you know stopping from parking, test your knowledge with the rest of the quiz and find out if you’re a parking pro or pretender.