5 lesser-known parking rules
Do you know where you can and can’t park? When studying for our learner’s test, we’re taught that we can’t park too close to an intersection or on the wrong side of the road.
There are however, a few lesser-known car parking rules you should consider. Here are five places you can’t park.
1. On the road… if your vehicle is too long
Have you attached a trailer or caravan to your car, and now it’s measuring 7.5m or longer? If so, it’s classed as a long vehicle. This means you can’t park on the road in a built-up area for more than one hour. If you do park on the road for more than an hour, you risk a fine.
2. Near a solid white line
You’re approaching a parallel park and ask yourself a few questions. Is there enough space for my car? Check. Is there a fire hydrant? Nope. Any Yellow lines? No.
You’re now ready to park, but there’s one other type of line you need to look out for. Make sure there’s a 3m gap between the side of your car and any solid white line in the middle of the road.
Break this rule and you can be fined $79 plus a $99 Victims of Crime Levy for parking within three metres of the solid white line.
Parking in a narrow street where there isn’t a solid white line in the middle of the road? Make sure you car is no closer than three metres from a vehicle already parked on the opposite side of the road. This could potentially block access for other vehicles and result in the same fine as parking too close to a solid white line.
3. On the bend of a country road
Need to pull over on a country road or outside of a built-up area? Don’t go parking on a bend. When parking on a country road you need to make sure your car can be seen for at least 100m by drivers travelling in the same direction.
4. Too close to a pedestrian crossing
You might be having trouble finding a park on a busy street, but the space around a pedestrian crossing isn’t an open invitation. In fact, you can’t park on a pedestrian crossing or within 20 metres before, or 10 metres after. If you do park on or too close to a pedestrian crossing, you risk a $111 fine, plus a $99 Victims of Crime Levy.
5. Too close to other cars
Squeezing into an ultra-tight parallel park, with only a few centimetres between you and the cars in front and behind, can leave you feeling very proud of yourself. Unfortunately, though, it could lead to a $75 fine, plus a $99 Victims of Crime Levy.
The same applies if you squeeze into the last space by parking less than a metre form the vehicle in front or behind. If parking bays aren’t marked, you must leave at least one metre between you and the other cars.