Parking on the 'wrong' side of the road

The Greg

Can anyone please explain whether and, if so, why it is legal to park a car on the 'wrong' side of the road (facing into oncoming traffic)?

As experienced on this morning's commute, a driver pulling out of the parking bay is only able see what's coming when 3/4s of the car is already out in the middle of the road (and when my bike is lodged in their grill - no signal, no headlights on to indicate that the car was going to move and a sudden roar out into oncoming (bike) traffic).

I know that in Australia the relevant traffic offence is "Parking too far from the curb" - i.e. the 'correct' curb on the other side of the road.

Any views?

redddraggon

I don't think cars should park on roads as it is. It always causes an obstruction for other road users as well as the problem you've mentioned.

My non-cycling car-owning father wrote:

If they don't have a driveway or garage - they shouldn't have a car, and if they've got a driveway or garage they should use it.

BentMikey

Yeah, I've had the odd near miss with drivers from the "wrong" side of the road. I'm not sure I'm against the parking on the "wrong" side of the road so much as the driver not bloody looking in the first place.

DavidTQ

239
Use off-street parking areas, or bays marked out with white lines on the road as parking places, wherever possible. If you have to stop on the roadside

do not park facing against the traffic flow

248
You MUST NOT park on a road at night facing against the direction of the traffic flow unless in a recognised parking space.


[Laws CUR reg 101 & RVLR reg 24]

So illegal if parked at night legal but against the highway code in the day time.

I think regardless of which way round a car is parked safety checks before pulling away are far more important. If you cant see its safe dont do it....

misterben

DavidTQ wrote:

So illegal if parked at night legal but against the highway code in the day time.

Although that depends very much on their definition of "recognised parking space".

I wonder what rules apply to Smart cars, given that they (legally) can park 'front-in' to the kerb, thus requiring them to reverse into the flow of traffic to get out....

DavidTQ

misterben wrote:

DavidTQ wrote:

So illegal if parked at night legal but against the highway code in the day time.

Although that depends very much on their definition of "recognised parking space".

I wonder what rules apply to Smart cars, given that they (legally) can park 'front-in' to the kerb, thus requiring them to reverse into the flow of traffic to get out....

I would imagine a parking bay with painted lines or parking sign at the side of the road.

Gambatte

really only the same problem as driving a LHD car??

Regulator

misterben wrote:

DavidTQ wrote:

So illegal if parked at night legal but against the highway code in the day time.

Although that depends very much on their definition of "recognised parking space".

I wonder what rules apply to Smart cars, given that they (legally) can park 'front-in' to the kerb, thus requiring them to reverse into the flow of traffic to get out....

Actually, they can't - that is a myth. All cars are supposed to park with the wheels in alignment with the kerb, except in bays which are marked on a diagonal.

webbhost

besides that, my dad tried it, but his smart car wouldn't fit without sticking out lol.

If anyone wondering why the night rule applies for parking, I believe it is merely because of the cars red reflectors at the back right?

Gussio

Last summer I got hit by somebody pulling out from the wrong side of the road. They were looking over their shoulder for traffic coming behind and pulled into the road without looking forwards. I saw it coming and had slowed to almost a standstill when his front bumper crushed my front wheel. He had the nerve to accuse me of being on the wrong side of the road, but didn't dare to open his door until I had stopped shouting at him! He was a private mini-cab driver and it took more than a month to get him to cough up the £75 it cost to replace the wheel.

While I'm on the soapbox, those Smart cars can be a menace when parked perpendicular to the kerb - parking bays can be narrow and the bonnet (such as it is) juts out into the road.

Totalnewbie

You always see Smart cars parked like that round here (central London). In fact I could see one parked like that from my window yesterday...

Yesterday I turned into a one way street only to find myself faced with a car going the wrong way, because he was going for a parking space. I gave him a rather disgusted look and he looked sheepish and waved an apology (I managed to steer round him as I take corners very slowly in the rain anyway).

Random Vince

iirc smart cars parking at right angles to the kerb need reflectors on their sides to be allowed to do so.

MegaThunder

Hi, I am a bus driver and I have been for the last 17 years, I have seen many modifications to the Highway Code BUT they have not included a specific rule that says you can't drive on the wrong side of the road and in consequence parking facing oncoming traffic. except for night time.

From, http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTr ... /DG_070309, I quote:

144

You MUST NOT

* drive dangerously
* drive without due care and attention
* drive without reasonable consideration for other road users

160

Once moving you should

* keep to the left, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise. The exceptions are when you want to overtake, turn right or pass parked vehicles or pedestrians in the road

end quote.

So, it is open to discussion that if you drive "carefully" on the wrong side of the road is OK!!

In my opinion, if you park facing oncoming traffic you have driven without due care and attention to other road users and that in it self is an offense.

spen666

The Greg wrote:

Can anyone please explain whether and, if so, why it is legal to park a car on the 'wrong' side of the road (facing into oncoming traffic)?

....

It is legal

It is legal because it is not illegal - may sound silly, but in England & Wales things are legal and permissible unless specifically forbidden.

Should it be illegal? - that is a different matter and personally I would like it to be made illegal

lost_in_thought

To be honest, although an irritation it kind of boils down to the adage of in the right and dead or injured versus alive and well.

Personally I prefer the latter

Putting my driver's hat on, I don't see why it should be made illegal. Depends on context, I suppose.

the_hundredth_idiot

It is illegal in New Zealand (daytime and night), as the wife and I found out when on a long holiday there. Couldn't figure out why everyone was staring at us and waving until some helpful chap pointed out we'd get a ticket unless we moved it.

And, in the UK, my mother got a warning from a police officer many years ago for parking facing the wrong way at night, for exactly the reasons mentioned above.

But, on my residential street in south London, I've never seen it enforced (and the traffic wardens can be very pedantic about parking violations).

Mr_Cellophane

misterben wrote:

DavidTQ wrote:

I wonder what rules apply to Smart cars, given that they (legally) can park 'front-in' to the kerb, thus requiring them to reverse into the flow of traffic to get out....

201
Do not reverse from a side road into a main road. When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can.


Should apply to parking spaces as well.

Mike Healey

It's illegal in Sweden

The Greg

As I said in my original post, it's more the fact that the driver's seat will be curb-side meaning that they are unable to see any oncoming traffic unitl they've got their driver's side (and, hence, already 3/4s of the car) out into the roadway - i.e. a driver has no idea if there is any oncoming traffic until they've already driven out into it.

I also like it when you're riding down the road and a driver coming in the opposite direction sees a parking space on my side of the road and decides to start driving directly at me (on my side of the road) to get the space. The distance between the two of us starts to narrow pretty bl00dy fast at times.

victor ludorum

Slightly off topic... but I had someone shout at me for being in their way while they were driving the wrong way up a one-way street a little while ago. Quite a respectable looking middle-aged lady, she used some rather intemperate language as well...

We came to a stop facing each other and I waited in the middle of the road while she ranted herself dry before moving out of the way. She jammed her foot down and leapt about 10 feet forward just in time for a head-on collision with a car turning on to the road behind me.

Fortunately, no-one was hurt, and I was more than happy to act as a witness for the wronged driver. Happy days...

chuckcork

victor ludorum wrote:

Slightly off topic... but I had someone shout at me for being in their way while they were driving the wrong way up a one-way street a little while ago. Quite a respectable looking middle-aged lady, she used some rather intemperate language as well...

We came to a stop facing each other and I waited in the middle of the road while she ranted herself dry before moving out of the way. She jammed her foot down and leapt about 10 feet forward just in time for a head-on collision with a car turning on to the road behind me.

Fortunately, no-one was hurt, and I was more than happy to act as a witness for the wronged driver. Happy days...

The ones I always came across going the wrong way were definitely driving with a get out of my my way or else approach.

Good luck to you finding one who wasn't!

nwallace

I've seen a taxi take to the wrong carraigeway of a dual carriageway then slam the anchors on when he realised. Bloodly local taxi as well.

Seen an Irish tourist (saw the no entry signs but didn't understand them because Ireland use a crosed arrow) in a 1 way system here, was unfortunately driving a silver skoda so I assumed he was a taxi driver who couldnt' be arsed going the long way round. 2 tone salue and the 2 fingered one too :oops: reaction changed when i spotted the Wicklow plate.

Reversing from minor road to major road includes driveways and private roads. At junctions the major road is the one with the right of way.
Now if a smart car or 2 nosed into a parkingspace rather than parallel park you could get them on parking incorrectly and lie in wait for them to reverese out and do them for that took :twisted:

victor ludorum

chuckcork wrote:

victor ludorum wrote:

Slightly off topic... but I had someone shout at me for being in their way while they were driving the wrong way up a one-way street a little while ago. Quite a respectable looking middle-aged lady, she used some rather intemperate language as well...

We came to a stop facing each other and I waited in the middle of the road while she ranted herself dry before moving out of the way. She jammed her foot down and leapt about 10 feet forward just in time for a head-on collision with a car turning on to the road behind me.

Fortunately, no-one was hurt, and I was more than happy to act as a witness for the wronged driver. Happy days...

The ones I always came across going the wrong way were definitely driving with a get out of my my way or else approach.

Good luck to you finding one who wasn't!

Sorry, I have re-read my posting and have given the wrong impression. She had to stop because otherwise I'd have gone over her bonnet. Then she ranted at me and sat there revving her engine until I moved out of the way.

Once I had moved, she put her foot down and smacked into a car at the entrance to the road.

whome

Once I had moved, she put her foot down and smacked into a car at the entrance to the road.

Did her attitude change then? i.e. did it seem like she hadn't realised she was going the wrong way, or was she just a stupid idiot who didn't realise it might be dangerous until she actually had an accident.

victor ludorum

whome wrote:

Once I had moved, she put her foot down and smacked into a car at the entrance to the road.

Did her attitude change then? i.e. did it seem like she hadn't realised she was going the wrong way, or was she just a stupid idiot who didn't realise it might be dangerous until she actually had an accident.

The driver knew full well that she was going the wrong way before she encountered me, she was trying to short-circuit the one-way system on an otherwise quiet back road. Her opinion was that a cyclist didn't count as traffic and wanted me out of the way before a 'legitimate' vehicle appeared.

Her attitude changed immediately after the knock, but then she couldn't try to bully her way out of a head-on impact with another car.

whome

Ah, so she was a stupid idiot! And possibly blamed you for slowing you down so she was caught! (OK, possibly not, but I know that is the logic some people follow).

jedster

whome,

let's keep it off this thread but I read your byline and wondered what you would make of my recent accident

described here
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... 1&start=45

I'm not picking a fight but while I agree with your second sentence, I'm not sure that that justifies your first (if you see what I mean).

J