parking without lights
Discussion
My station has received numerous letters from people complaining about motorists parking on a busy 40mph road at night without parking lights...
I looked into the matter and found at least a dozen such cars contravening the law. I affixed warning notices on them reminding them of the dangers of such parking and their responsibilities. I returned a few nights later and the cars were gone.
In the meantime, I've had a couple of phone calls thanking me for the warning notices and for not issuing fixed penalty tickets....
The reason for this thread, is the question; Do you PHs on here conform to regulations when parking outside restricted speed limits at night, and leave side/parking lights on?
Street
I looked into the matter and found at least a dozen such cars contravening the law. I affixed warning notices on them reminding them of the dangers of such parking and their responsibilities. I returned a few nights later and the cars were gone.
In the meantime, I've had a couple of phone calls thanking me for the warning notices and for not issuing fixed penalty tickets....
The reason for this thread, is the question; Do you PHs on here conform to regulations when parking outside restricted speed limits at night, and leave side/parking lights on?
Street
pdV6 said:
www.highwaycode.gov.uk/22.shtml#223
News to me!
I usually leave my parking lights on (via the indicator in a VW Golf) if Im parked in an area that I think a numpty might hit the car. (The place in mind is a 30 limit where maxxers and the like race past).
Streetcop said:
The reason for this thread, is the question; Do you PHs on here conform to regulations when parking outside restricted speed limits at night, and leave side/parking lights on?
Street
Absolutely, plus situations where parking lights are required within restricted speed limits. As DVD knows this is a subject which yanks my chain.
Parking correctly lit does result in some funny looks, and discussions with passengers / passers by, as in "You've left your lights on!"
The level of ignorance amongst drivers about this is appalling. No it's worse than appalling imo.
Like how many of you park at night on the wrong side of a 2-way 30 limit road, ie RHS of car nearest to kerb, and leave your parking lights on thinking that you are now legal? Come on own up?
FiF
Streetcop said:
Do you PHs on here conform to regulations when parking outside restricted speed limits at night, and leave side/parking lights on?
Street
Are there unrestricted speed limits??
I never leave my lights on when parked and I always park on the correct side of the road. Does this answer the question?
Now I understand your question to mean any road/layby other than a 30mph limit. The answer is no. Might need to brush up on my highway code
>> Edited by anniesdad on Monday 12th July 12:42
anniesdad said:
Do you PHs on here conform to regulations when parking outside restricted speed limits at night, and leave side/parking lights on?
Street
Are there unrestricted speed limits??
Streetcop confused his terminology.
I think he meant to refer to a "restricted road" ie a road with a system of street lghting and subject to a 30 limit. Therefore he was asking PH-ers if they conformed to regs parking on roads other than "restricted roads"
Mrs Fish said:
I may or may not get the pi$$ taken out of me for asking this question but...
Doesn't it flatten the battery leaving your lights on over night?
Can do.
Parking lights are the dimest though so if the battery is Ok then it should be alright for one night.
On my Golf if I leave the indicator on and trun the ignition off it just leaves the front and rear sidelights on on the one side of the car.
IE Indicator to right with ignition off will just light up the offside lights of the car (the ones nearest the middle of the road).
I believe this is the case with all German built cars.
DustyC said:
I may or may not get the pi$$ taken out of me for asking this question but...
Doesn't it flatten the battery leaving your lights on over night?
Can do.
Parking lights are the dimest though so if the battery is Ok then it should be alright for one night.
On my Golf if I leave the indicator on and trun the ignition off it just leaves the front and rear sidelights on on the one side of the car.
IE Indicator to right with ignition off will just light up the offside lights of the car (the ones nearest the middle of the road).
I believe this is the case with all German built cars.
[pedant mode = on (sorry!)]
Funnily enough although these are called parking lights if you are in a situation where lights are required, then lights on one side are not sufficient.
Equally on my daily drive Mundano the parking light setting is also illegal. All position lights = on, but number plate illumination = off,
Ford! RVLR refers.
[/pedant mode]
So how are we supposed to comply if the cars dont even do it!
Seems like its such a petty and unused law that nobody really cares about it any more.
I use it to protect my mirrors on a busy road and thats about it.
Would you ever really get booked for this? Seems a bit silly. Could always claim that the lights had been on but the battery went flat!
Seems like its such a petty and unused law that nobody really cares about it any more.
I use it to protect my mirrors on a busy road and thats about it.
Would you ever really get booked for this? Seems a bit silly. Could always claim that the lights had been on but the battery went flat!
I always thought that a parking light on a car switched off after a preset time?
Correct me if im wrong on that account its been a long time since I had a car that wasnt 30+ years old.
Oh I dont have a parking light, heck neither of my cars have hazard lights. Does this rule only work on cars with the facility to have a parking light, and not on a lot of historics which are way way to old to be that clever
Correct me if im wrong on that account its been a long time since I had a car that wasnt 30+ years old.
Oh I dont have a parking light, heck neither of my cars have hazard lights. Does this rule only work on cars with the facility to have a parking light, and not on a lot of historics which are way way to old to be that clever
My old Cavalier had one-sided parking lights. Indicate right with the ignition off & RH lamps would come on & vice versa. IIRC German cars eg VWs would do the opposite (which is more sensible, if you think about it)
My Alfa has an extra position on the ignition, only accesible by pressing a button in and turning the key one click further anticlockwise before removing it. All 4 corners then stay lit up (and the dash lighting
)
My Alfa has an extra position on the ignition, only accesible by pressing a button in and turning the key one click further anticlockwise before removing it. All 4 corners then stay lit up (and the dash lighting
)pdV6 said:
My old Cavalier had one-sided parking lights. Indicate right with the ignition off & RH lamps would come on & vice versa. IIRC German cars eg VWs would do the opposite (which is more sensible, if you think about it)
My Alfa has an extra position on the ignition, only accesible by pressing a button in and turning the key one click further anticlockwise before removing it. All 4 corners then stay lit up (and the dash lighting
and
Pigeon said:
You used to be able to get these gadgets that clipped over the edge of a window, with a bulb in and a red lens one side and white the other, connected by a cable to a can thing with a torch battery in it. Saves flattening the car battery. Are they still legal?
FiF in exasperated mode!
Oh FFS!
Which bit of the following do people NOT understand?
Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 Part III said:
Requirements about the use of front and rear position lamps, rear registration plate lamps, side marker lamps and end-outline marker lamps
24.—(1) Save as provided in paragraphs (5) and (9), no person shall-
(a) use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road any vehicle which is in motion-
(i) between sunset and sunrise, or
(ii) in seriously reduced visibility between sunrise and sunset; or
(b) allow to remain at rest, or cause or permit to be allowed to remain at rest, on a road any vehicle between sunset and sunrise
unless every front position lamp, rear position lamp, rear registration plate lamp, side marker lamp and end-outline marker lamp with which the vehicle is required by these Regulations to be fitted is kept lit and unobscured.
Para 5 refers to the detail of when you may park in a 30 without lights,
Para 9 refers to exempt vehicles, eg a bicycle being pushed along the left hand edge of the carriageway.
So for example my Mundano if the parking light switch caused the position lights plus number plate lights to be lit then it would be legal.
Therefore one can conclude that if the situation is one where lights are required, then the VW/GM solution of position lights one side only, the old light hung over the drivers window etc etc are NOT LEGAL. As to whether you get done it all depends.
However if you are parking in a situation where lights are not required, then the additional use of one side only lights is quite OK in my view.
http://tinyurl.com/66awa refers.
FiF
I am also mentally reatrded with regards to this law. I do not own a car which I can leave ANY lights actually doing anything when its shut and locked, without flattening the battery completely in a night...and I have to admit I didnt know tehre was one. Am trying to remember a time Ive elft my car on a 40 or above though...and am struggling!
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