WE’VE HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE contact us after receiving a parking infringement notice for parking too close to an intersection.
Most of them have no recourse – the Australian Road Rules make it clear that it is an offence for any driver to stop on a road within 20 metres of an intersecting road at an intersection with traffic lights. At intersections not controlled by traffic lights, the distance is 10 metres. Both offences carry an expiation penalty, but as always, it varies from State to State.
Some of the confusion arises because there are often no road signs or other markings advising drivers not to park within the prohibited area. Such signs or markings are not required, because both of these restrictions are part of the road rules, and with so many intersections, signposting them all would be prohibitively expensive.
Some local councils have made the decision to restrict parking beyond the statutory ten metres of intersections without traffic lights. To indicate this, they have painted a continuous yellow edge line on the roadway, beginning at the ten-metre point. This, however, appears only to have confused some drivers who inadvertently park within the prohibited area and incur a fine.
Further confusion arises when drivers who are unfamiliar with the ten-metre exclusion zone assume that a kerbside without a continuous yellow line is a legitimate parking area.
If you know of a confusing parking situation, take it up with your local council and if you think you have been penalised unfairly, seek legal advice.
seniordriveraus.com recommends seeking legal advice before disputing parking penalties. Information contained in this article is for guidance only.