The surprising car park stat
Surprisingly, 14 per cent of drivers believe it’s okay to reserve a car park by standing in it, a recent sa move poll revealed.
Despite RAA recommending people don’t stand in a parking space to reserve the spot for a driver, 547 people of the 3860 surveyed, said it was okay.
Many people reasoned that it was okay in certain situations. One driver said it would be okay if the park is being reserved for someone with a disability or if there was an elderly person on board.
Another respondent said: “It depends on circumstances. As a tradie, we have to do it all the time to be able to get our tools and products close to the job.”
Some people said it was okay to reserve the space, if it was only for a couple of minutes.
Other motorists were less sympathetic to people standing in a park to reserve the space. One driver said “It’s dangerous and can lead to issues like revenge vandalism. It should be that whoever is there first in their car, should be the one to park in that spot.”
Other people who responded to the poll labelled the act “just plain rude” and said those doing it were “jumping the queue”.
RAA Senior Manager for Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain says pedestrians should avoid standing in a parking space to reserve it.
“The pedestrian could be risking their safety, and it could lead to serious injuries,” Charles says. “The motorist might not expect to see a pedestrian standing in the parking space and could hit them.”