Can I drive through empty parking spaces?
It’s late at night, the car park is nearly empty, and you take a shortcut through multiple vacant parking spaces. Have you broken the law?
No, technically you haven’t broken the law. However, it’s important to remember that most car parks are privately owned and could have their own rules. Car parks, whether they’re open-air or multi-storey, are generally regulated by the private owner of the facility or the council.
That doesn’t mean the police don’t have any jurisdiction in a car park as under the Australian Road Rules, car parks are a ‘road related area’ where road rules still apply.
RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain says motorists shouldn’t take shortcuts through empty car park for several reasons.
“Car parks are shared spaces between pedestrians and cars,” Charles says.
“If you’re driving unpredictably across empty parking spaces, you may not see a pedestrian, and they might not see you coming from an expected direction.”
“There are also other hazards – including speed humps, concrete kerbs and wheel stops – that could damage your car or cause you to lose control of your car and end up in a dangerous situation where people may be hurt or property damaged.”
Colliding with a hazard, even at walking pace, could seriously damage your car, or you could lose control and crash into parked cars or pedestrians.
So, it’s safer to drive in the aisles and roadways on your way into and out of a car park instead of taking a shortcut through empty parking bays.
Want to slowly drive through a parking space to park in an adjacent space in the adjoining row? That’s okay but take care and ensure another driver isn’t entering the space.
Think you’re a parking pro? Take our car park quiz.