- Car envy
- Councils’ controlled parking issues
- En-suite parking space
- Leaving a warm car on cold days
- Swapping pompoms for podiums
- When more spaces mean less space
- Speeding motorists becoming rarer
- Unlucky registration plates
- Distracted driving during the summer
- Gone driving
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Monday, September 10, 2012
Councils’ controlled parking issues
Have you been finding it harder to locate a parking space you don’t have to pay for these past few months?
We wouldn’t be surprised to hear that you had, because not only are there more cars being bought every day in the UK, but one in five councils have reduced the number of free street parking spaces available to motorists.
Furthermore, many have increased the number of parking attendants, so more people are being caught out and having to pay fines for overstaying or parking illegally.
Now, we don’t have a problem with people receiving fines for doing something they shouldn’t be doing, but what we’re not happy with is that drivers have fewer and fewer suitable parking bays available to them.
What are road users meant to do? Where can they park if there’s nowhere appropriate?
Since councils began taking over parking enforcement from the police in 2008, they seem to have gradually been making it more difficult for drivers to park.
Both the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation and the director of the RAC Foundation believe that councils need to reassess how they are dealing with controlled parking so that it is a benefit to residents instead of a nuisance.
We agree with them and hope to see some change soon.
Photo © Philip Taylor PT via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
We wouldn’t be surprised to hear that you had, because not only are there more cars being bought every day in the UK, but one in five councils have reduced the number of free street parking spaces available to motorists.Furthermore, many have increased the number of parking attendants, so more people are being caught out and having to pay fines for overstaying or parking illegally.
Now, we don’t have a problem with people receiving fines for doing something they shouldn’t be doing, but what we’re not happy with is that drivers have fewer and fewer suitable parking bays available to them.
What are road users meant to do? Where can they park if there’s nowhere appropriate?
Since councils began taking over parking enforcement from the police in 2008, they seem to have gradually been making it more difficult for drivers to park.
Both the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation and the director of the RAC Foundation believe that councils need to reassess how they are dealing with controlled parking so that it is a benefit to residents instead of a nuisance.
We agree with them and hope to see some change soon.
Photo © Philip Taylor PT via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: attendants, bays, car, councils, driver, enforcement, fines, free, illegal, Metropolitan Police Federation, motorist, parking, police, RAC Foundation, space, street parking
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
When more spaces mean less space
In some UK town centres it can be quite difficult finding somewhere to park your car. I know I’ve had problems before when I’ve gone round and round for a while and then had to give up and search for roadside spaces down residential streets instead.
I don’t like parking up on a roadside next to someone’s home because I feel that I might be in the way. Obviously I don’t park in front of people’s driveways, but I always wonder if they look out of their window, see my vehicle sat there, and think ‘Now where’s Lucy going to park when she comes over today?’, or something similar.
Thankfully, many councils are trying to improve parking for motorists and are finding ways of increasing the number of bays available.
However, Leicester City Council recently showed everyone that creating new spaces isn’t as easy as you may have imagined.
Employing a contractor to paint new bays along a street, the council didn’t plan the work well enough and made a bit of a mess of it all.
Motorists found that when all the spaces were in use, there was only a gap a little under one metre left for drivers to fit through. Needless to say, you can’t fit a car through a gap of that size, and people were not pleased.
The mistake has since been rectified, and hopefully Leicester City Council will plan work better in the future…
I don’t like parking up on a roadside next to someone’s home because I feel that I might be in the way. Obviously I don’t park in front of people’s driveways, but I always wonder if they look out of their window, see my vehicle sat there, and think ‘Now where’s Lucy going to park when she comes over today?’, or something similar.
Thankfully, many councils are trying to improve parking for motorists and are finding ways of increasing the number of bays available.
However, Leicester City Council recently showed everyone that creating new spaces isn’t as easy as you may have imagined.
Employing a contractor to paint new bays along a street, the council didn’t plan the work well enough and made a bit of a mess of it all.
Motorists found that when all the spaces were in use, there was only a gap a little under one metre left for drivers to fit through. Needless to say, you can’t fit a car through a gap of that size, and people were not pleased.
The mistake has since been rectified, and hopefully Leicester City Council will plan work better in the future…
Photo © compujeramey via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: bay, car, driveway, Leicester City Council, motorist, parking, roadside, space, town centre, UK, vehicle
Friday, February 24, 2012
Big car and small spaces
It’s irritating enough going from shop to shop and feeling penalised when trousers that are labelled as being the same size fit in one shop but are too small for you in another.
Well, now there’s a similar problem being suffered by motorists parking in spaces provided by councils.
Fines are being issued to drivers who have parked their car in a bay that is too narrow or too short to fit their vehicle in correctly.
Now, this is all for the good of the road network, since cars overlapping onto the road could cause an accident, but there are two problems.
One – cars are reportedly 16% wider than they were four decades ago.
And two – different councils have different views of what being too big for a parking space entails.
Some councils feel that if the entire car is not within the markings, then it is too big, others feel that as long as the vehicle’s wheels are within the lines, all is well.
Until they all decide on one all-encompassing set of rules, motorists will remain confused and keep getting fines they thought they were safe from.
Very annoying. Now please excuse me – I need to drive into town to exchange these tiny trousers. Grrrr.
Well, now there’s a similar problem being suffered by motorists parking in spaces provided by councils. Fines are being issued to drivers who have parked their car in a bay that is too narrow or too short to fit their vehicle in correctly.
Now, this is all for the good of the road network, since cars overlapping onto the road could cause an accident, but there are two problems.
One – cars are reportedly 16% wider than they were four decades ago.
And two – different councils have different views of what being too big for a parking space entails.
Some councils feel that if the entire car is not within the markings, then it is too big, others feel that as long as the vehicle’s wheels are within the lines, all is well.
Until they all decide on one all-encompassing set of rules, motorists will remain confused and keep getting fines they thought they were safe from.
Very annoying. Now please excuse me – I need to drive into town to exchange these tiny trousers. Grrrr.
Photo © paulswansen via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: accident, bay, car, council, drive, driver, fine, motorists, narrow, parked, parking, road network, safe, short, size, spaces, vehicle
Monday, February 6, 2012
Women park better than men
Some male drivers may still believe the myth that they are in some way superior to their female counterparts, but a new study has revealed that women are better at parking their vehicles.
This revelation was made by the Car Park Operator NEP. After a thorough study it concluded that although women take a relatively long time to park, they have comparatively less trouble aligning their vehicles in a space.
Men are apparently more interested in showing their prowess by parking in tight spots when accompanied by female drivers, than in showing consideration for their fellow motorists by leaving space between car doors.
A celebrity driving instructor said, “I was quite surprised by the result, because in my experience men have always been the best learners and usually performed better in lessons.
“However, it's possible that women retain the information better. The report shows the need to give our partners more respect when it comes to parking.”
These findings add weight to the claim that women are more thoughtful and therefore more deserving of cheap car insurance than the opposite sex.
Unfortunately this is unlikely to have an impact on the upcoming insurance updates, set to bring the amount that men and women pay for cover into balance.
This revelation was made by the Car Park Operator NEP. After a thorough study it concluded that although women take a relatively long time to park, they have comparatively less trouble aligning their vehicles in a space.Men are apparently more interested in showing their prowess by parking in tight spots when accompanied by female drivers, than in showing consideration for their fellow motorists by leaving space between car doors.
A celebrity driving instructor said, “I was quite surprised by the result, because in my experience men have always been the best learners and usually performed better in lessons.
“However, it's possible that women retain the information better. The report shows the need to give our partners more respect when it comes to parking.”
These findings add weight to the claim that women are more thoughtful and therefore more deserving of cheap car insurance than the opposite sex.
Unfortunately this is unlikely to have an impact on the upcoming insurance updates, set to bring the amount that men and women pay for cover into balance.
Photo © thienzieyung via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: car door, Car Park Operator NEP, cheap car insurance, cover, drivers, driving instructor, female, learner, lessons, male, motorists, parking, vehicle
Friday, December 30, 2011
The shortest double yellows
Usually, double yellow lines stretch quite a few metres, or down an entire road, stopping you from parking where you desperately want to be able to.
However, some new double yellow lines in Stafford Street in Norwich won’t be much of a hindrance to motorists, because they’re only 17 inches (43cm) in length.
Located opposite a pub, the lines are long enough to stop four toy cars from parking up, but are unlikely to make much of a difference for real-size vehicles and their drivers.
The pub landlord stated, “I thought the country was skint – but it appears that people can still spend money on daft things like this. There just doesn't seem any point in having such short lines.
“It has caused a bit of mirth in the pub. Everyone thinks it is hilarious and we are looking forward to seeing if a traffic warden comes down here to monitor it.”
A Norwich city councillor said, “They were put down to make things clearer for permit holders, but in hindsight perhaps they weren't needed.
“As a councillor you are expected to do many things for residents but getting into the Guinness Book of Records for the shortest set of double yellow lines isn't one I anticipated.'
Well, at least not too much paint was wasted, and I’m sure the tiny double yellow stretch will bring laughter to all who see it.
However, some new double yellow lines in Stafford Street in Norwich won’t be much of a hindrance to motorists, because they’re only 17 inches (43cm) in length.Located opposite a pub, the lines are long enough to stop four toy cars from parking up, but are unlikely to make much of a difference for real-size vehicles and their drivers.
The pub landlord stated, “I thought the country was skint – but it appears that people can still spend money on daft things like this. There just doesn't seem any point in having such short lines.
“It has caused a bit of mirth in the pub. Everyone thinks it is hilarious and we are looking forward to seeing if a traffic warden comes down here to monitor it.”
A Norwich city councillor said, “They were put down to make things clearer for permit holders, but in hindsight perhaps they weren't needed.
“As a councillor you are expected to do many things for residents but getting into the Guinness Book of Records for the shortest set of double yellow lines isn't one I anticipated.'
Well, at least not too much paint was wasted, and I’m sure the tiny double yellow stretch will bring laughter to all who see it.
Photo © cdsessums via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: double yellow line, Guinness Book of Records, motorist, Norwich, parking, pub, Stafford Street, toy car