Ticket for parking within 10m of a junction?

[paddyhasneeds]

A friend of mine (they all start like that but it really is) got a ticket today whilst picking her daughter up from school.

From what I gather people park like pricks by the school so they had wardens (I'm sure she mentioned PCSO's) out accompanied by Police.

Apparently they ticketed the car parked next to her which was parked half on the verge and half on the road turning into the road, and they then ticketed hers because it was "parked within 10m of the junction" - I didn't find out if this is what it says on the ticket but she got back to the car whilst they were ticketing it and this was the reason given to her.

I had a quick look and the Highway Code says "DO NOT" in relation to parking within 10m of a junction, whilst other things say "MUST NOT".

Is the ticket valid?

If it is then fair enough, from speaking to here she felt a little like she was in the wrong place at the wrong time - hard to disagree as if you apply those standards consistently pretty much every single housing estate in the UK will be full of ticketed cars (like the one parked at the bottom of my road 3m from the junction to the main road).

[ghamer]

VALID.Should be walking to/from school lazy b@tch!

[OdramaSwimLaden]

I always seemed to think that was the case; so a valid ticket - sorry.

[Baryonyx]

Valid ticket, and quite rightly so. It's one of the things that really gets on my wick, and is indicative of the sloppy driving standard the country has now. So often, cars parked close to junctions will seriously inhibit the view out onto the road, and on tighter roads often impede turning out onto the road itself, never mind the visual problems they cause.

[martin84]

You think thats bad? Saw a car parked on a roundabout today, i mean like halfway round the roundabout, stopped and got out, realised at the last second was i went round that it wasnt actually moving.

[AndyBrew]

Glad to hear it somebody near us parks almost on the corner meaning when approaching the junction you have to be on the wrong side of the road to exit the close, very annoying, and only a matter of time before theres a head on when it does I'll be interested to see who is at fault?

[Landshark]

It would come under unnecessary obstruction of the junction.

[mattmoxon]

Yep it's valid, I remember my driving instructor telling me that you shouldn't park within 10m of a junction. I wish someone would start ticketing the cars that park near me that do just that.

[Wings]

Absolutely valid, can be an obstruction for drivers of vehicles but also disabled pedestrians with mobility bikes, and those pedestrians with prams etc.

[Nigel Worc's]

Wow, I'd never heard of that being enforced, I sort of wish it was, but only after the authorities saying they are going to enforce something that has been around since my grandfathers day, but never ever used.

[Nickyboy]

About time they did start ticketing the school run mums whose parking actually makes it dangerous for those who take the time to walk to school

[Piepiepie]

For clarification, remember its 10m from the last curved kerbstone (as i recall).

[saaby93]

Lots of residential streets have cars parked right up to the junction & some streets are laid out wide enough to allow it.
Obviously there are other junctions where parking a car on the junction

[caziques]

I thought the distance was 20ft, which was then metricated to 6 metres.

[martin84]

I dont have kids so have no reason to drive down a road with a school on it so have no idea of the alleged mayhem which ensues but it does strike me as rather curious that everyone seems to have a very bitter opinion on the matter. Almost like some sort of war. I never thought how other peoples kids get to school would be anybodies business but their parents, maybe thats just me.

[Mill Wheel]

There is a T Junction on our estate where a 4x4 parks nearly opposite the side road (lives IN the side street) and at night, the junction has vehicles parked on both corners and opposite sides.

To turn out of the side road, you have to turn into a narrow space, of between two or three car lengths in either direction, while being unable to see along the road in either direction until you have pulled far enough forward as to endanger yourself if something IS coming.

I wish the local BiB would come and ticket the offenders, as this is a PITA for everyone using the busy side road!

Is the white van guilty of this offence here?
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=claife+avenue+winder...

[StottyZr]

Its one of these rules like only parking with your NS to the kerb. If you looked through the majority of estates you'd find countless cars parked on the "wrong" side of the road and a ticket could be issued. Similarly, this rule is very rarely applied.

[SGirl]

ghamer said:

VALID.Should be walking to/from school lazy b@tch!

How do you know how far she has to travel to get to school? I have to drive my son to school because it would take him 2 hours to walk there.

Glad someone is doing something proactive to stop this stupid sense of entitlement so many school run mothers have, though. They drive me mad - I wouldn't go out in the car at school times unless I had to. You can guarantee that if someone cuts me up, pushes out from behind a parked car into oncoming traffic or parks stupidly (and then throws the car door open wide so that nobody can get past on the pavement), it'll be a school run mother.

[Grommit]

Good!!

I live near a school and the parking is unbelievable.

[F i F]

paddyhasneeds said:

If it is then fair enough, from speaking to here she felt a little like she was in the wrong place at the wrong time - hard to disagree as if you apply those standards consistently pretty much every single housing estate in the UK will be full of ticketed cars (like the one parked at the bottom of my road 3m from the junction to the main road).

Agreed, reckon if our council had a blitz over a weekend couple of times over the winter they'd recover the equivalent money they lost in the Icelandic banks debacle, within 10 metres of a junction, without lights, wrong side, half on kerb, unnecessary obstruction, dropped kerbs. Could go on... and on... and on.

I've even seen a vehicle abandoned in the middle of a junction, in the bloody middle, like a traffic island; though it was a Laguna so distinct possibility it had broken down.