You could be fined £1,000 for parking the wrong way round

28 October 2022, 13:04

Drivers are being caught out by "less common laws" like this. Picture: Getty

The Highway Code rule means motorists who park incorrectly at night could face a hefty penalty – or even prosecution.

Drivers could face a huge £1,000 fine for parking the wrong way round after dark – something many motorists aren't even aware of.

The Highway Code has a strict rule which states you must park your vehicle a certain way at night on an unlit street to avoid facing prosecution.

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Rule 248 reads: "You must not park on a road at night facing against the direction of the traffic flow unless in a recognised parking space."

So, those behind the wheel should go with the flow of the other cars if stopping overnight in an unmarked area.

Road users are being warned of Highway Code changes. Picture: Getty

Penalty charges won't top £1,000 if the rule is breached, however police do have the power to escalate the incident to court if necessary.

That's unless you drive a goods vehicle or a passenger vehicle with more than eight seats, which means your fine could reach a maximum of £2,500.

The rule had many motorists questioning why they could be slapped with the massive penalty if their car isn't parked correctly.

Scrapcarcomparison.co.uk revealed the reason behind it, explaining that vehicles parked the wrong way are in total darkness to motorists passing through.

The fact the vehicle’s rear reflectors would not be visible would make it much more dangerous to drive by and could cause a major accident.

Police even have the power to escalate dangerous parking to court. Picture: Getty

The Scrap Car Comparison spokesperson explained: "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."

Presenter for car competition company BOTB, Christian Williams, explained that "less common" laws like this can pose a problem for drivers in Britain.

He told The Sun: "Many of the laws surrounding UK driving are understood by most road users and wouldn't present much of a problem.

"But what catches drivers out are the less common laws - these are the ones that you likely don't think about when behind the wheel."

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The Highway Code also states: "All vehicles must display parking lights when parked on a road or a lay-by on a road with a speed limit greater than 30 mph."

Acknowledging that not all car owners know where these important parking lights are, the RAC released some helpful advice.

The breakdown company said: "Almost all light switches in modern cars are either mounted on the dashboard, to the right-hand side of the steering wheel, or on the end of the indicator stalk. Your parking lights can be switched on and off by rotating the dial into the correct position.

"There will be a position for sidelights, headlights and usually a separate button or switch to activate your fog lights. Although not standard, some vehicle models allow the driver to incorporate the use of their indicator when leaving on their parking lights.

"So if the indicator is left in the downward position when the engine is turned off, the sidelights will automatically show up only on the left-hand side of the car."