If there’s one thing that gets drivers worked up, it’s parking. According to the AA, 25% of women and 11% of men say they aren’t confident when it’s comes to parking.
And it isn’t always just about the actual manoeuvres. It can sometimes seem like a minefield of rules and restrictions when it comes to where – and when – you can leave your car.
Not understanding the rules can cost you a lot of money in fines, so here are three parking myths refuted.
If you drive away before a civil enforcement officer gives you the ticket, it doesn’t count
Does anyone else get an image of a traffic warden chasing someone down the road like the T1000 in Terminator 2? This is a bit of a tricky one, and depends on what has actually happened before you drove off. If the civil enforcement officer was already writing the ticket, then they’ll be able to use your registration to find your address and send you the penalty fine.
This can be a tricky issue, so the best way to avoid it is to not get parking tickets, which is always made easier if you know exactly where you can and can’t park. Which leads us nicely onto the next myth…
Yellow line restrictions are universal
A lot of councils do remove the restriction on parking after 6pm, but this is not always true. Many a driver has been caught out by parking on a single yellow in the evening believing themselves in the clear. There should be an accompanying sign to let you know what the restrictions are. If you’re parking in a new place that you are not used to, make sure to check the signs, and you’ll be able to avoid any nasty surprises when you return to your vehicle.
You can park anywhere you like on a Bank Holiday
We’re not sure where this one came from, but the answer is pretty obvious. Perhaps it sprung from the fact that people believe traffic wardens never work on Bank Holidays. But neither this, nor being able to park anywhere on a Bank Holiday, is true. Exactly the same rules apply as any other day, which is probably why they are called ‘Bank Holiday Weekends’ and not ‘Park Anywhere Weekends’.
The easiest way to avoid being caught out – at any time of year – is the most obvious: know the rules.
What other parking questions do you have? Want to expose a myth of your own? Be sure to let us know below!