More parking

[ElementaryMyDearWatson]

There's a road near where I work with mahoosive houses with driveways in front, often with two entrances, and across each driveway there are unfeasibly long unbroken white lines to protect access - in some cases so long that they extend right across areas of kerb where cars could otherwise park, and join up. Does anyone know the legal status of these lines? I have no problem with the concept that the house owners are entitled to protect their access, and that the lines should maybe extend a little to ensure that they have reasonable visibility to enable them to drive out safely. However, when parking spaces are scarce and you can see that, but for a white line, there would be ample space to park safely, it's severely tempting just to ignore them.

Also, when I'm dictator, WIBU to ordain that if you have two entrances to your driveway you can only have your white line across one of them?

[Salmotrutta]

Maybe this is a case where the house owners actually do own the road? So it's a private rather than public road?

I can't see any other reason for having white lines all along it otherwise?

[wowfudge]

Perhaps is to ensure parked cars don't obscure the drivers' views as they turn onto the road?

[Dawndonnaagain]

Is it possible that they are embassy houses or houses belonging to foreign officials, in which case parked cars directly outside could be perceived as a threat?

[FruSirkaOla]

I guess the white lines have been painted by the local council to allow legal vehicular access for the homeowners, who have probably paid for their dropped kerbs and, therefore, legal access to their own drives - hence the white lines.

Is this an area where there are stringent parking restrictions?

Where I live (Inner London Borough), off-street parking is not the norm for every property. Council approved off-street parking means that each drive/OSP has a white line in front of it. And woe betide anyone who parks on that - they'll end up with a ticket.

[ElementaryMyDearWatson]

No, it isn't a private road, and the white lines aren't all the way down - just across people's driveways and quite a long way beyond. It's free parking in that road, probably because the residents don't need to park in the road as there's more than enough room in their driveways and garages, but it does get very parked up with commuters as it's near a station. They certainly aren't embassies, no idea whether some houses may belong to foreign officials but I doubt that all of them do. And yes, I'm sure the lines have been parked to secure access and safe exits, it's just that the lines extend some way beyond where they need to for that purpose: you could in many cases cut two or three feet off either end and people exiting could still do so safely, though they'd have to be careful. Which of course they're supposed to be anyway.

As I say, I don't really have any issue about the existence of the white lines (except maybe when the house has two entrances!) but I wonder how enforceable they are in situations when parking on them doesn't cause any obstruction.

[Collaborate]

I think what you're trying to say that in smaller houses the H outside driveways is shorter, yet cars all seem to come in near enough the same widths.

YANBU to think that special treatment has been given to these houses. They should have the same room to get out as everyone else who has an H has.

[Charley50]

There's a couple of roads like this near where I live and I've wondered the same thing. I'm going to google it now.

[hooliodancer]

Someone from the highways agency once told me that any white lines can't be legally enforced, they are for advice only. He also said this also applies to a disabled space outside someone's house, if the markings are white. I actually didn't believe him! But that's what he said.

[Charley50]

Internet says they are 'advisory' to let you know that there is a dropped kerb there. But the part you shouldn't park in front of is just the dropped kerb, (and maybe a tiny bit extra to give leeway for big fuck off cars that can't ease out easily). God I need to get a life!!

[PLUtoPlanet]

Our opposite neighbours have piles of cars on their sriveway, and often one or two parked across their (own) entrance, which makes it a pain sometimes for us to get out of ours.

[Andrewofgg]

Planning permission for anything with access to the road now always includes visibility splays of a stated width and if there is enough room for full splays - and if these houses are mahoosive there probably is - the council is quite right to use lines long enough to act as splays of just that width - however irritating it may be for people who want to park near the station.

[PLUtoPlanet]

Andrewofgg, what a disappointment to see you here, being so sensible, after seeing your hopeful comment on that other thread, about the joint party!