Car parking space bay lines

[aceofspades1]

With the increasing size of modern vehicles, what is the general accepted definition of "vehicles must be parked entirely within marked bays"?

On a trip yesterday I visited multiple car parks with wording in the terms to that effect but half the jumbo SUVs and estate cars would not physically be able to park in the bays without the front or rear slightly overhanging so it got me thinking.

If it means all wheels must be within the bays, that surely opens the flood gates to bringing in a massive extra long wheelbase van which overhangs into the next bay, and you won't have broken any of their terms.

If it means the edges of the vehicle body, then half of modern cars overhang in bays I've seen, particularly around city centres in 1970's built car parks.

[aceofspades1]

[Magic919]

I’d suggest not troubling yourself over it.

[vikingaero]

aceofspades1 said:

The Merc and the Jazz in the background are interesting as it looks like the Merc is encroaching into the Jazz's space.

Certainly with on-road parking you can overhang a little as long as your wheels/tyres are within the bay markings. Take the pish too much and you'll get a ticket.

[Fred Smith]

Magic919 said:

I d suggest not troubling yourself over it.

Supermarket car-parks yes - supermarkets aren't going to want to annoy selfishly parked customers by fining them.

Roads, private car-parks and council car-parks - well worth troubling yourself unless you're happy to pay fines. If anything the need more space on the roads, and we need more capacity in car-parks. If people have chosen to buy cars and SUVs and other kinds of trucks which are far too large for the spaces that exist then that is a them problem IMHO.

Who would be surprised to see local councils starting to fine every 4WD which is parked even an inch or two over the white line?

[davek_964]

Fred Smith said:

Supermarket car-parks yes - supermarkets aren't going to want to annoy selfishly parked customers by fining them.

Many supermarkets warn that they will fine you if you don't park in allocated bays, and I know of instances where people have been fined for parking across two spaces.

[Weejus]

An original Mini, photo below.. It just shows what you are saying is true..

Edited by Weejus on Wednesday 22 April 15:41

[Weejus]

But as you say, cars are just getting larger. with the company I had a Ford Ranger Wildtrack, it was a bugger to park, always overhung a marked space, I found the best place to park at the Supermarket was down by the recycling bins just so I could take up the 2 spaces needed, I never got a fine tho in the 4 years of ownership. I am glad I have got rid now ..

Edited by Weejus on Wednesday 22 April 15:44

[Groomio]

Councils ban 20 'too big' vehicles from car parks in 2026

https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/counci...

[aceofspades1]

Magic919 said:

I d suggest not troubling yourself over it.

Even though I know it's not likely, I am not a risk taker and like being assured that I'm in the right, haha

[Neil-nvaua]

I parked my car in the local supermarket car park at the very end of a row and parked with 2 wheels on the white line so as to give the car adjacent to me more space and reduce the chances of getting a ding - and got a bloody ticket for it!

I wasn't over the lines just on them, and wasn't impeding the flow of traffic or pedestrians - just trying to use the space wisely given as you say parking bays aren't big enough.