Tuesday 26th May 2009

One In Ten Drivers Escape Parking Fines

Survey reveals ten per cent of motorists escape tickets

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One in ten drivers who receive a parking ticket successfully appeal the penalty, according to a new survey conducted by the Office of National Statistics.

The survey showed that ten per cent of drivers fined last year successfully won their appeal, while 16 per cent had their case rejected.

Of the 1,100 adults questioned in the survey, around one in five had received a parking fine, and 37 per cent of those who had received a ticket believed that they had been unfairly ticketed and were not parked illegally.

The survey also showed that drivers aged between 16-34 were the worst offenders with 32 per cent receiving a ticket in the past year compared to 18 per cent for all other drivers.

Many of those surveyed also believed that ‘parking restrictions are mostly there to make money’ with 35 per cent of people living in parking controlled areas agreeing with the statement. Over a fifth of those surveyed admitted to being confused by parking rules.  

[RB Will]

So does this mean 10% of tickets are handed out illegally?

[Fiatfan]

What I never understand is why the parking rules vary from council to council. E.g. in some councils you can park on a single yellow on a bank holiday and in the neighbouring coucil you will get a ticket. There should be one set of clear rules that are published so that everyone knows where they can or cannot park. This would save many people from having to fight these councils over unclear parking tickets.

I suspect that the councils like the unclear situation as they make a fortune from this. How about Boris making the parking rules standard across London?

[PhantomPH]

RB Will said:

So does this mean 10% of tickets are handed out illegally?

You would certainly think so.

I guess the general rule now, is to always appeal a ticket, regardless of situation.

[Johnpidge]

Fiatfan said:

What I never understand is why the parking rules vary from council to council. E.g. in some councils you can park on a single yellow on a bank holiday and in the neighbouring coucil you will get a ticket. There should be one set of clear rules that are published so that everyone knows where they can or cannot park. This would save many people from having to fight these councils over unclear parking tickets.

I suspect that the councils like the unclear situation as they make a fortune from this. How about Boris making the parking rules standard across London?

How about making all parking restrictions/all signs/all traffic signs/all road calming/all bumps/ all pedestrian crossings and signs etc etc etc standardized throughout the whole of the UK or is that just to much common sense????????

Oh and just get rid of the poxy congestion charge (which no one wants anywhere anyway) which reminds me I've got to pay the damn thing before I forget again (also like Boris??)

[anonymous-user]

My missus always appeals tickets, she's had at least 5 overturned over the years. She simply writes a letter to the council citing some nonsense mitigating circumstances. I've read each letter and not one did I expect to be overturned.

It's certainly worth appealing parking tickets.

[BigMacca]

I got a ticket just before Christmas last year and considered appealing, but the 'If you fail you'll pay more than what we're asking from you now' threat kind of put me off. To be honest though, I'm beginning to think I should have done.

Busy car park in bottom street in Knutsford, roads around the spaces are wide enough for two cars to go past comfortably. As there were no yellow lines at the end of a set of bays and the route was not an access point/through road, I pulled the car up alongside the car in last bay, paid £2.00 for the whole day and left it clearly visible. Obviously came back to find a ticket on the windscreen. Still, checked the board next to the ticket machines, no rule says you have to park in a bay. Just pay for a ticket, no parking on yellows etc, hence why I thought I'd be ok...

Kept checking back regularly as I was only down the road, just in case a space was free. Still, the only time I found a free space was when I found a nice yellow packet fixed to the windscreen...

Should have appealed that one anyone think? Or was I definately in the wrong? Althought I'm probably forgetting that common sense has no place in this governments rule book...

[dandarez]

I live near Witney in Oxfordshire where all the car parks are FREE (unlike Oxford which is the motorist's nightmare).
Is this the last place in the UK with free parking?

There is however, one 'small' car park in Witney that is not free and is run by some Gestapo outfit (from Plymouth I think, must have another look).

The point about this park is that it regularly has machines 'out of order' so unsuspecting motorists think, 'well I can't pay so I should be ok'. Oh no you won't! The SS patrol appears when the motorist has left and slaps tickets 'hard luck' 60 quid please, which doubles if you don't pay.

I have even seen these SS types - they even dress like them! - going round the cars with a camera photographing each car, as I regularly go into this area to drop someone off and use the park to turn round.

What I don't understand is WHY would anyone park there?

[Sgt^Roc]

RB Will said:

So does this mean 10% of tickets are handed out illegally?

think it means they dont know how to issue a ticket

[TVRWannabee]

Article says: "The survey also showed that drivers aged between 16-34 were the worst offenders with 32 per cent receiving a ticket in the past year compared to 18 per cent for all other drivers."


Wonderful things statistics. They surveyed 16 year old joy riders? What are the figures for parking fines given to the under 16s?

[Chas-Chiro]

BigMacca said:

I got a ticket just before Christmas last year and considered appealing, but the 'If you fail you'll pay more than what we're asking from you now' threat kind of put me off. To be honest though, I'm beginning to think I should have done.

Busy car park in bottom street in Knutsford, roads around the spaces are wide enough for two cars to go past comfortably. As there were no yellow lines at the end of a set of bays and the route was not an access point/through road, I pulled the car up alongside the car in last bay, paid £2.00 for the whole day and left it clearly visible. Obviously came back to find a ticket on the windscreen. Still, checked the board next to the ticket machines, no rule says you have to park in a bay. Just pay for a ticket, no parking on yellows etc, hence why I thought I'd be ok...

Kept checking back regularly as I was only down the road, just in case a space was free. Still, the only time I found a free space was when I found a nice yellow packet fixed to the windscreen...

Should have appealed that one anyone think? Or was I definately in the wrong? Althought I'm probably forgetting that common sense has no place in this governments rule book...

If their rules are not clear then they have to prove you are in the wrong. As you have paid and follwed the rules, even if incomplete rules, you have participated in a contract which in law must be fair. The rules can not be changed just to issue a penalty without first displaying the rules. If you persist with this fact of incorrect or incomplete display of rules they have to prove otherwise. All you need to do is take a pic with your phone. Don't send it in but tell them you have it.

So yes you should have appealed and so long as you appeal in the first time limit for low fine amount the low amount stands even if you lose. Make sure you put that in the letter you send so they can not try to increase the fine.

As they have said 10% got successful appeals that would probably mean incorrect signs/line markings or improper issue of ticket in first place, like a fine when you are unloading just so the patrol can make up their numbers. Happens all the time. Targets that they always deny exist.

[leicesterboy15]

I never knew the lower amount still stands, can you confirm this? If so its worth an appeal every time!

i've appealed before and won, I took pictures of the lines that were old and broken and not terminated properly so I argued that because the line doesn't meet the rules of a yellow line as set out by them they cannot enforce it as a yellow line. Yes i was parked illegally but I wasn't blocking anyone or affecting the flow of traffic, I just popped into the post office for 5 mins, back to that common sense thing again. I got a ticket last week, was my fault for not reading the signs (residents bay at 8pm on Sunday evening!) so I paid but when its unfair on nonsensical it winds me up.

I pay £1900 council tax to these monkeys anyway, most parking rules are just another money making scam to keep the useless local government in the black.

[bakerjuk]

In Reading, when controlled zones were introduced the parking attendants would roll up and park in the spaces waiting for someone to illegally park, fine them and then drive away leaving their space free. This was common practice for some time.

There should be rules about how and when you should be fined. I have seen parking attendants hiding around the corner from the blockbuster drop off point waiting to pounce when someone jumps out of their car for 30 seconds to drop off a video. Surely, SURELY, they should not be allowed to do this, but give a warning if the driver is in the presence of the vehicle?

[BERKLEY HUNT]

The moral to the story is if you take the trouble to park legally and maybe walk a few hundred yards you dont get a ticket in the first place ive always found it easier that way

[JMGS4]

PhantomPH said:

RB Will said:

So does this mean 10% of tickets are handed out illegally?

You would certainly think so.I guess the general rule now, is to always appeal a ticket, regardless of situation.

IMHO, going by all reports I've read, at least 50% of all parking and other fines are illegal. They play on the fact that people are either too lazy,too dumb or too frightened to appeal against council/state financial rape!!!
Appeal every one on principle, then the system would crash within 48 hours!

[tim-b]

leicesterboy15 said:

I never knew the lower amount still stands, can you confirm this? If so its worth an appeal every time!

yep, if you lodge an appeal within the the 2 wks you have to pay the lower fine, it is frozen and then if your appeal fails the 2 wks starts again from when they tell you it's failed. at least that's how it was when i appealed a local council ticket (for parking on a paved area *behind* double yellows). nevermind that it was the most sensible place to park, and people do every day, it's outside the law so appeal was rejected. but it's worth a shot, at least makes them earn it. f*ckers.

always read the smallprint on the back of the fine, as i expect different areas have different policies.

[mr spectraflair]

I get parking tickets ALL the time. I know it's probably my own fault, but i hate putting my P&J in carparks and coming back to find it with trolley/door ding!
I never seem to have my tickets revoked no matter what excuses i make up (yes i've tried my luck).
Does anybody have any 'GREAT' WHITE LIES i could try out next time i get slapped?