School parking (with diagram because I know that's important) WWYD?

[Goldmandra]

I am unlucky enough to have working hours that mean I'm driving through school parking every morning and afternoon.

I'm getting increasingly concerned about the way parents are parking in the junction where I turn right every morning and left every afternoon.

The residents whose driveways are getting blocked every day complain regularly to the school but that isn't really my concern.

I'm more worried about the visibility around the junction and the fact that I've had two toddlers on separate occasions run across the road in front of me. I crawl around the corner every time which is probably the only reason those toddlers are uninjured.

I've called the council to ask if they can get a traffic warden out to put the wind up the parents a bit but they said they will only come out if people are parking on double yellows. There are none on this road.

The Highway Code says you should not park opposite or within ten metres of a junction.

My art skills aren't the best so the cars are probably not in the right proportion to the road. The parked cars make it impossible for two cars travelling in opposite directions to pass. In some places there is only just one car's width to squeeze through.

All the cars are marked with a c and the drives are marked with a D.

I particularly love the two parents who park on the pavement, obviously because that's slightly more considerate than totally blocking the junction.

Is there any point in my trying to get the police to come out and address this? I get that they're busy but a small child is likely to be hit/killed soon.

I've put an arrow on the diagram to show the pavement everyone uses to walk to the school entrance. There isn't a pavement on the other side of the road where most cars are parked. Children are running backwards and forwards across the road, getting in and out of cars constantly during this part of the day.

The most irritating thing is that the parents could park safely in a large, free carpark which the same distance away from school as this junction is. It makes no sense!

Would you bother the police with this? Is there any point in complaining to the school?

Could you take it up with your local MP?

Report to 101 and they may be able to send Community officers out to police it. I’d also email the MP explaining your concerns.

Good diagram

I wouldn't think the police will do anything. I think it's across the board tho all schools are the same. Complain to the school defo and keep complaining to the council. We have the parking car and the parking wardens every so often. Still doesn't change a thing long term tho unfortunately

I would complain to the school (regularly if needed) and try to get others to do the same. The PCSO comes to our school for drop off times every month or so (arranged by head) but bad parking reverts the following day.

Otherwise can you not leave 10 mins earlier/later or go a slightly different way? Some days I drive the long way round to the village hall (5 mins from school and their recommended car park) so I don’t have to pass through the packed streets around school.

I'd potentially send it to your safer neighbourhoods team to have a look at but tbh if the council aren't interested you night be stuck as the police are very stretched and may not have the resources for it. Parents confuse me no end when it comes to pick up time. I live near a school and whilst they don't park too badly here atm they do let thier infant school age kids run out from between cars or scoot along the road unsupervised whilst they are 20ft (if not more) away despite this being a 30mph through road.

This is a job for your local councillors! Have a look at your council website and work out who your local councillors are for your ward and write to them. Invite them yo come and view the junction at school drop off time

Would you bother the police with this? Is there any point in complaining to the school? Nope because no one gives a stuff in authority give a stuff about parking out side school.

I unfortunately live between 2 primary schools, plus a special needs school as well just around the corner, so drop off and pick up's especially wet days are horrendous.

In fact one of the Road Crossing Ladies has been knocked over twice by parents not driving properly.

I could change my working hours but other cars will still be driving up and down so it wouldn't change the risk to the children much.

I hadn't thought of a PCSO. We're in a village and I think ours has given a direct phone number to a neighbour. I might get it and give him/her a call.

I wondered about suggesting that the head teacher pops up the road to ask them very nicely to use the car park on the odd occasion. I know he can't tell them what to do but I wouldn't have wanted to be known as someone who parks like that when my DCs were there.

Phone parking services at your local council.

Great diagram

(yeah, I just clicked for the picture, sorry!)

Worth contacting the police to enquire. The police have stopped at my sons school in the morning to deter and educate parents parking. Although there are lines there so not sure if they'd do the same for you as there's no lines. They have spoken to people about parking near dropped kerbs though.

This is a job for your local councillors!

I've emailed our Conservative county councillor twice about issues with SEN provision. Neither email was even acknowledged.

I live very two schools (primary school directly infront of my house & special needs high school directly behind) and cars are parked like this at four seperate junctions all day long, unfortunately nobody is interested.

Great diagram

Thank you. Much more fun than the jobs I should be doing on my rare, childfree, DH free evening

I need to find out if we have a Safer Neighbourhoods Team.

We live very close to a school, (from the diagram it's not this one!) we do have some yellow lines which means the traffic warden does pitch up now and again and tickets a few but it only solves the problem that day, they are back on the yellows again the next day! I spoke to a lady (randomly in a soft play) who worked for an environmental charity, she said that some more progressive boroughs in London have put double yellows for a radius around schools, or at least for the drop off and collection part of the day so parents don't single handedly pollute the playground and school their children will spend the rest of the day in. Maybe taking an environmental and child safety (re pollution) would be a fresh angle with this?

Our council recently added double yellow lines on junction corners (I assumed they had paint needing to be used up). As you pointed out OP, no one should park on junction corners anyway (and in my case nobody was) but now we have double yellow lines - cheap and easy. Ask your local council.

We have this problem at my son's school and I posted a photo of offending vehicles on the parent's FB page....

Our school sent caretaker out in mornings to give people hard stares & friendly chats for that kind of parking. Sounds like the corners need some double yellows.

Our council recently added double yellow lines on junction corners (I assumed they had paint needing to be used up). As you pointed out OP, no one should park on junction corners anyway (and in my case nobody was) but now we have double yellow lines - cheap and easy. Ask your local council. yep work for a while, we now have parents parking on the double yellow line. And because the police or the CCTV car come around so rarely people just ignore them.

Complain to the school they may have more luck getting a traffic warden out .

we now have parents parking on the double yellow line. And because the police or the CCTV car come around so rarely people just ignore them.

Seriously?

I feel like I'm living in a parallel universe.

I wonder if the village Facebook page admins would allow a photo to be shared on there.

From my experience at ds school it doesn’t matter who tries to do what the arrogant parents who think they can park where they want still will.

wonder if the village Facebook page admins would allow a photo to be shared on there

Someone did this on our local fb page - there was uproar from the driver and their friends because “parking is shit so we have to block the whole pavement” and “how dare you post a photo of my car” it got to the point where there where “come and say it to my face” type threats.

@Sirzy, OK. Maybe I won't try that one.