Illegal parking includes exceeding time limits, parking in restricted areas without permits, blocking traffic, and unsafe parking. Consequences can include fines and towing, especially in congested areas. Time limits and restricted zones are intended to improve accessibility. People who contest tickets need documentation.
Illegal parking can include exceeding time limits, parking in a restricted area without a permit, parking in a way that blocks traffic, or failing to park safely and properly. Depending on the country and the violation, the consequences for illegal parking can include fines and towing. In regions where traffic congestion is a significant problem, penalties for illegal parking tend to be stiff, with the goal of making more parking available.
Many parking lots have time limits, such as 20-minute or two-hour zones. People who park longer than the allotted time can be fined, as can people who hang out at meters without paying. Time limits are intended to improve parking accessibility by creating different parking zones, including loading zones for people who run quick errands, longer parking for people who want to walk around an area, and parking all day for people commuting to work.
Restricted zones can include accessible parking for disabled drivers, bus lanes, permit parking, etc. People who park in these areas without displaying appropriate signs or permits on their cars are parking illegally. Some restricted areas prohibit parking under all circumstances; for example, people may not park near a fire hydrant, as this would interfere with public safety. Temporary congestion zones may be established for parade routes and other events, and people are not allowed to park in these zones during the time periods indicated on the warning signs.
Blocking traffic by leaving the car in the middle of the road, double parking or carrying out similar maneuvers is also a form of illegal parking. In some regions, parking is banned on some streets at certain times of the day to make more lanes available. It is important to read parking signage carefully to get information on when parking in a particular location is legal. People who park in these lanes during rush hour could be towed and fined.
Other examples of illegal parking include parking against the flow of traffic, not parking within lines, and engaging in other unsafe parking maneuvers such as parking too far from the curb. Usually, the vehicle code is specific about how to park safely. No sign explicitly warns drivers against activities such as parallel parking in vertical parking spaces, but people will be fined on the grounds that they should exercise common sense when parking.
People who want to contest an illegal parking ticket will need to provide documentation. Some potential defenses include confusing or absent signage or evidence that the driver was parking legally, such as handicapped signs on a car that was wrongly fined for parking in an accessible lot.
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