reverse parking, what's the law say?

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

This won't apply to those towns in NSW where you must reverse angle park.
but say on a parallel street parking is it mandatory that one must reverse park? I see so many vehicles stop and hold up traffic reversing into parking spots where there is no need, they can drive straight in , in a forward movement.
I can drive my disco forward into a lots of parking spots yet I see people in those small hatch backs do the reverse parking trying to park even though 2 bays are empty. Again they hold up traffic from behind.
So is it breaking the law park without reverse parking???

[101RRS]

There is no LAW that requires you to reverse park.

[87County]

This won't apply to those towns in NSW where you must reverse angle park.
but say on a parallel street parking is it mandatory that one must reverse park? I see so many vehicles stop and hold up traffic reversing into parking spots where there is no need, they can drive straight in , in a forward movement.
I can drive my disco forward into a lots of parking spots yet I see people in those small hatch backs do the reverse parking trying to park even though 2 bays are empty. Again they hold up traffic from behind.
So is it breaking the law park without reverse parking???

this reminds me of a Seinfeld episode where it is claimed that only people driving getaway vehicles park while going forward .....

is it simply that no normal driver wants to be regarded as a driver of a getaway car ?

[kenleyfred]

I reverse into every parking. As you drive past the spot you can see everythings clear. When you leave often by the time you drive off you could have no idea of what has happened around you in the blind spots.

I can annoy the impatient amongst us at times getting the Defender into a tight spot, but tough ****, I hopefully will never hit a kid on the way out.

[Xul]

I don't mind people reversing in, that extra 10 seconds doesn't bother me a whole lot.

What can get annoying is the people who crawl along a road 'chasing' pedestrians for their park and then blocking the road for 5 minutes while the people put things in their car etc. Happens quite a bit near Flinders Hospital in Adelaide.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

The reality is that with reverse parking, the parking spaces can be smaller. This is because you need to to have a greater distance between vehicles to park parrallel to the kurb with forward parking.

AFAIK forward parking is mandated in the UK.

[gromit]

Wasn't aware that forward parking was mandated in the UK, it wasn't when I lived there a few years ago.

I noticed when I first arrived in Australia that the majority of people seemed to forward park (90 degree) compared to the UK where most (where I lived) reverse parked. I still tend to reverse park ready for a quick getaway.......
In 90 degree parking it's easier to hold up the traffic while you reverse in (they have no choice but to wait) rather than trying to reverse out into traffic (where they choose not to let you out).



Colin

[Scouse]

I noticed when I first arrived in Australia that the majority of people seemed to forward park compared to the UK where most (where I lived) reverse parked. I still tend to reverse park ready for a quick getaway.......
Easier to hold up the traffic while you reverse in (they have no choice but to wait) rather than trying to reverse out into traffic (where they choose not to let you out).


Colin

but say on a parallel street parking is it mandatory that one must reverse park?

I think you missed a bit Colin .

[gromit]

Thanks Scott, I'd edited before you posted. My comment was regarding 'reverse parking' in general

You're taught to reverse parallel park for your driving test because you can manoeuvre into a smaller spot but I would tend to forward park if there was room. Anyway in the fender you just mount the kerb as you swing into the spot and then drop the wheel back onto the road as you straighten up


Colin

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Wasn't aware that forward parking was mandated in the UK, it wasn't when I lived there a few years ago.

Colin

It was the impression I got while driving around the place as I got beeped while reverse parking and from those silly UK cop shows you watch when very very bored!