Motorists Could Be Fined £1,000 For Parking The Wrong Way

Drivers might be unwittingly leaving themselves open to a £1,000 fine for parking their car incorrectly. 

Yep, while you might be up to speed with the rules while your car is in motion, you could be less aware of those that apply while you're parked up. 

According to the Highway Code, you cannot park against the direction of parking on a road at night – unless it’s in a recognised parking space. 

The rule is backed by two laws – The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 and the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 – which means that if you are parked in such a way and an accident did occur then you could be open to prosecution. 

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Scrapcarcomparison.co.uk told the Mirror: "Motors parked the correct way would be visible and illuminated by headlights bouncing off the rear reflectors.

"We’ve dealt with cars that have been written-off due to a passing car crashing into them as they have partly stuck out from a parking space."

Last year, the Department for Transport introduced a crackdown on mobile phone use behind the wheel, with the new laws set to come into play this month. 

As most of us know, it’s illegal to use your phone to make calls or texts while driving. 

However, from 25 March this year, this will include scrolling through playlists, playing games or taking a photo while behind the wheel, with a fine of up to £200 for those drivers who break the law.

Drivers will still be allowed to use their phones hands-free – for example as a sat-nav – but it must be secured in a cradle. 

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The new rules will have an exemption for drivers who are making contactless payments using their mobile phone while stationary – such as paying for food at a drive-through or paying on a toll road – but this rule will only apply when payment is being made with a card reader. 

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "By making it easier to prosecute people illegally using their phone at the wheel, we are ensuring the law is brought into the 21st Century while further protecting all road users.

"While our roads remain among the safest in the world, we will continue working tirelessly to make them safer, including through our award-winning THINK! campaign, which challenges social norms among high-risk drivers."