Is it illegal to park facing the flow of traffic?
Have you ever been scouring the streets for a parallel park and found a space on the opposite side of the road?
Instead of performing a U-turn and parking, you duck across the road and into the park with your vehicle facing against the flow of traffic. Is this parking manoeuvre illegal?
While you may have seen motorists overseas parking in this manner, it’s illegal in South Australia.
According to the Driver’s Handbook, drivers parallel parking must park their vehicle so it’s facing in the same direction as the moving traffic.
If you parallel park facing the direction of traffic, you could be fined $79 along with a $105 Victims of Crime Levy.
So, why do motorists have to park in the same direction as the flow of traffic?
For safety’s sake
RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain says safety is the main reason motorists need to park in the same direction as the flow of traffic.
“When a driver parks in the wrong direction, they’ll need to travel on the wrong side of the road to enter and exit the space,” he says.
“This means they risk a head-on collision with other vehicles. Parking in the wrong direction can also cause confusion for other motorists.
“The extremities of the vehicle parked contrary to the direction of travel is not so readily identifiable at night as the rear reflectors on the vehicle are not visible to approaching traffic.”
One-way streets
If you’re parking on a one-way street, you can park on either side of the road unless restricted by signage, line marking or road width and as long as you comply with other relevant parking rules such as leaving appropriate clearance at intersections.
In this scenario, your car will still be facing the lawful direction, but the driver’s side of the vehicle might be at the kerb. Passengers will need to check for approaching cars and cycles before opening their doors.
Want to know more about parking? Click here to learn about five lesser-known parking rules.