Parking your vehicle may not be as easy as you think. The place you decide to park has to be safe as well as legal. Be cautious of the many prohibited parking places such as across driveways, bicycle paths, too close to an intersection, just over the crest of a hill, near a railway crossing or post box, too close to a bus stop, too close to another vehicle, where you block the safe flow of traffic or parking in the emergency lane of the freeway.
It is not just the risk of theft but also the potential for damage to be caused by other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists or animals. Here are some important points to remember when deciding the next parking spot.
- Try and avoid parking beside a vehicle with a child seat on that side, a young child returning to the car can quickly open a door without thinking, hitting your car parked beside.
- Avoid parking beside a large vehicle like a van or 4WD that may obstruct your view when you go to leave the parking spot.
- If the car park is empty, park away from other cars, this will also make your car less attractive to car thieves. Parking at the other end of the car park provides valuable exercise.
- If parking at night or it will be dark when you return park in a well-lit area, for both personal security and theft prevention.
- Park in the middle of the allotted space, not too far in either. Other cars might arrive and park beside your car. Never try and park taking up 2 spaces, someone will always try and fill the gap.
- When returning to your parked car, always approach from the passenger’s side and undertake a circle check. Walk around your vehicle, facing oncoming traffic to check for damage, eyeball your tyres and check for obstructions.
HNB General Blog 