Can you hold up traffic to reverse park?
Parallel parking on a main road can be stressful – particularly if other drivers aren’t feeling patient. Here’s what you need to know about the relevant road rules in Australia.
Recently, I witnessed an act of unexpected aggression on Melbourne’s roads.
At the bottom of a hill on a heavily trafficked main road at peak hour, the driver of a Toyota Camry signalled with their indicator and slowed to start reversing into a parking spot on the side of the road. Nothing out of the ordinary.
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Meanwhile, at the top of the hill, the driver of a Ford Ranger – who was still roughly 500 metres away – spotted the Camry’s flashing indicator and immediately lent on their horn.
The Ranger driver honked aggressively the entire way down the hill, clearly in an effort to discourage the Camry driver from completing their manoeuvre, likely because it would require the driver of the ute to stop and give way.
I felt terrible for the Camry driver, but it got me thinking – what are the road rules for reverse parking in traffic? And, if you’re not a particularly skilled parker, how much time do you get before the clock runs out and other drivers have the right to pull around you?
To find out, I put this exact scenario to the police or road authorities in each state.
Can you hold up traffic to reverse park?
Yes, you can, provided you don’t take an unreasonable amount of time to complete the park, you don’t create a dangerous obstruction, and you don’t reverse too far back in a way that endangers other drivers.
A Queensland Transport and Main Roads spokesperson summed it up beautifully when they said: “Reverse parallel parking on busy roads requires all drivers to show patience, common sense, and share the road.
“Drivers parking must ensure they have a clear view of the road behind their vehicle, they do not reverse for longer than necessary, and check that it is safe to reverse. Unsafe reversing can result in a $61 fine.
“Drivers must not unreasonably obstruct other drivers. This means drivers parking cannot block more of the road than is necessary for their parking manoeuvre, and nearby drivers must leave sufficient space for the driver to park. Creating an unreasonable obstruction can result in a $154 fine.”
A spokesperson for Australian Capital Territory Policing agreed, “it is sometimes unavoidable that traffic behind them may be – momentarily – delayed [when reverse parking]“.
“Drivers who will reverse to parallel park must indicate before they bring their car to a stop. Before and during reversing, check for other road users, including bicycle riders and pedestrians.”
A $316 fine applies to drivers that fail to reverse their vehicle safely in the ACT, while a $213 fine applies to drivers who reverse their vehicles further than is necessary.
A spokesperson for Victoria’s Department of Transport and Planning also pointed to Road Rule 125, which states that “a driver must not unreasonably obstruct the path of another driver or a pedestrian”, but said it would be unlikely to apply in this example.
Parallel parking would not constitute an “unreasonable” obstruction, unless the driver was found to be driving abnormally slowly in a manner that could prove unsafe.
“When parking obey the signs, park within the marked bay (if marked), don’t cause an obstruction and allow adequate space for large vehicles to pass,” a spokesperson for the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning told Drive.
The New South Wales Department of Transport, meanwhile, urged drivers to take a “common sense” approach to parking, outlining several road rules that could potentially apply if someone was reverse parking in an irresponsible way.
These include road rule 208(2), which states a driver must not park their vehicle in a way that “unreasonably obstructs the path of other vehicles”, and road rule 189, which states a driver must not double park.
Tasmania’s Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management said it would likely depend on how long a driver took to complete their reverse park that would determine whether or not they were fined.
“In Tasmania, an incident of slow parking would be assessed on an individual basis and depend on how long it took for the park to occur and how other road users were inconvenienced. Slow parking could come under rule 367(2) of the Road Rules, which states: ‘a person must not drive without reasonable consideration for other road users’,” a spokesperson told Drive.
A spokesperson for Western Australia Police told Drive: “Parallel parking is absolutely okay on any roads in WA, where parking is permitted. Regulation 108 of the Road Traffic Code says that you can’t stop or park on a road ‘with intent to hinder or obstruct the passage of any vehicle…’.
“This legislation was enacted in response to an industrial dispute where trucks parked on roads specifically to block the road network and was never intended to prevent parallel parking.”
South Australia Police referred us to the road rules and said it couldn’t comment on specific examples but would investigate any formal complaints if they were made.
Finally, a spokesperson for the Northern Territory Police said: “I have confirmation from the officer in charge of traffic that drivers are required to give way to traffic pulling in or out of parking spaces.
“In the scenario you’re describing, parallel parking on a main road, it is legal to hold up traffic briefly while you indicate and move into the park.”
Can you overtake someone when they’re reverse parking?
Always err on the side of caution when overtaking someone who is reverse parking, as there are fines in every state for “unsafe overtaking”.
For example, in the ACT, a fine of $316 and two demerit points could apply to any vehicle that unsafely overtakes another car while it is reverse parking.
Additionally, a fine of $316 and two demerit points applies if a vehicle overtakes another vehicle too closely when reverse parking is occurring.
In assessing whether it is safe to overtake, Transport for NSW advises checking that you’re not driving over an unbroken single or double dividing line, you have a clear view of approaching traffic and the road isn’t too narrow.
One thing all states can agree on? The driver of the Ranger should not have honked their horn. In fact, the Ranger driver could have been fined for inappropriate horn use.
“Drivers should use their horn courteously and only when necessary to warn other drivers of their presence. Repeatedly sounding a horn out of frustration is distracting and distressing to other road users and can attract a $92 fine,” a spokesperson for Queensland Transport and Main Roads said.
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