Driver Fined £1,000 For Common Parking Error

A driver has been handed a £1,000 fine after being caught carrying out a common parking error and then disputing the ticket in court.

Of course, the majority of us who spend a lot of our time behind the wheel know when and where we can park our cars. But for this one driver, it seems as if the rules of the road were lost in translation slightly.

The motorist appeared at Warrington Magistrates Court earlier this week after they decided to argue against a fixed penalty notice they were handed back in December.

The Sun reported that officers from Lymm Police issued the fine after they found the car parked on white zigzag lines which, believe it or not, is a breach of the Highway Code.

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These zigzag lines appear at pedestrian crossings and the Highway Code states: "The approach to, and exit from, a pedestrian crossing is marked with zigzag lines. It also means that you must not park on them or overtake the leading vehicle when approaching the crossing.

"Parking here would block the view for pedestrians and the approaching traffic."

The same rules apply to yellow zigzag lines, which are instead found outside of schools, police stations, hospitals and fire stations.

Even if a sign indicating hours of operation accompany the zigzags, it means that between those hours, parking wardens or local authority civil enforcement officers have the power to issue motorists with penalty charges for parking in the area.

These zigzag markings are there to provide pedestrians and children a clear and unobstructed view of the road in front of them - something the motorist in this instance jeopardised by parking their car across the markings.

A spokesperson for Lymm Police said: "A driver was issued a fixed penalty notice for unnecessary obstruction where the vehicle was parked on the zigzags at Lymm Dam on Sunday 12th December.

"The driver disputed the ticket and the case was heard at Warrington Magistrates on Monday 25th April.

"A guilty verdict was found resulting in a total fine of £1,026."

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In slightly more positive parking fine news, the government launched a new Code of Practice to crack down on ‘cowboy private car parking firms’ earlier this year.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced on 7 February that fines will be slashed by 50 percent to help motorists save ‘millions of pounds each year’. 

The maximum charge in England – excluding London – and Wales will be reduced from £100 to £50 in most cases, or £70 for more serious breaches. 

A 10-minute grace period before a late fine can now also be issued, as well as the requirement for private car parks to display prices more clearly and use a fairer appeals system.