Driveway blocked

[N51BU]

I went to bed very late for me last night (00:15). I noticed a car had parked directly across our driveway so there was absolutely no way we would be able to get out in an emergency

In the last 18 mths we have had to take DD2 to hospital twice as she hit her head resulting in an awful bump in seconds and another time she was struggling to breathe

I checked the cameras and the car first parked there at 23:30 so it had been there forty five minutes before I noticed. I didn't recognise the car or driver and they walked off out of sight. I went to bed a little on edge. What are you meant to do in an emergency? I can only think call a taxi. I guess I could go knocking doors with lights on but that would be very time consuming

You shouldn't have to OP but is there anywhere you could display one of those '24 hour access required' signs at the entrance to your drive? Obviously it depends on the layout but just thought it was worth a mention,

Someone once parked across my driveway and blocked my car in. I was heavily pregnant and having a few problems with pregnancy and I needed to go to hospital late one night. I called 101, they sent a PCSO out after not having any luck ringing the owner. The car got towed away on the back of a recovery truck.

Aw how disappointing is this? I thought we were going to have a cracking (geddit? Eh?) Bank Holiday parking thread for Easter, and now the OP has gone about her business. Presumably with her car.

@Steptoeshorse1965

"In most areas local councils have now taken on responsibility for enforcing parking provisions under what is known as Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE). Under CPE, it's an offence to park a vehicle that blocks a dropped kerb driveway. You can check if your local council has taken on CPE via the link below:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/679505/la-with-cpe -list.csv /preview

If your council has taken on CPE, you will usually need to report vehicles that are obstructing a dropped kerb directly to them – you can contact them via the link below."

From the website "Ask the Police"

[quote Steptoeshorse1965]@Aprilx Ok, so where exactly is this regulation or law you speak of?

Civil law or the presumably the road traffic act?? Most seem to forget that what is outside the boundary has nothing to do with them. I have neighbours who act silly when anyone parks outside their house too, the also seem to forget that the public road is called such, because it does not belong to them. It is a free for all, unless regs or paint on the road/signage tell you otherwise. Unofficial signs, self imposed cones or painting fake bays etc, now that's illegal.[/quote]
Obstruction access to the highway is a criminal offence.

"Under highway law, it is illegal to park a vehicle so that it obstructs other people wanting to use a road or path. It is also illegal to obstruct a private entrance."

So yes, the OP can call the police

It is illegal to park over a dropped curb and it is enforceable.
Free for all insnt true unless its a non dropped curb.
If the op curb was dropped then it is illegal and the police will act if its reported.

Legal or not anyone who blocks someone’s drive is rude. I can’t understand why anyone would think it is ok to do it!

@WeatherwaxLives

If it's blocking your vehicle in then it's illegal. You can ring the police, they'll contact the drier and tell them to shift it.

If your drive is empty, it's not illegal and they may or may not do anything.

It's something about 'obstructing access to the public highway'

That's not true. If it has a dropped kerb, it's illegal to park there and the vehicle can be towed. If the kerb isn't dropped, then they have every right to park there.

@Aprilx Parking,

The only rules which apply are those of the LA, with regard to on street parking, permits etc, paint on road, signs, even if someone chose to park in your disabled, marked space, your recourse would still be very limited indeed.

If a car is insured, taxed etc and road legal and restrictions do not say otherwise, you can park where you please, with no special regard to driveways at all, in a legal sense, under rule 243 of the highway code, you are not supposed to park near one, or near to a kerb which has been altered for access purposes, but there is no statute in law to prevent this. Even if someone parked on your drive itself, and was trespassing, your only recourse is in civil law there.

And to the original point, no one has any legal right whatsoever to park outside their house, nor to interfere even with someone blocking their "Drive" The law does however define a drive, and to cross a footpath without the drive being of adequate construction, is an offence in law incidentally. So it's as I stated, a free for all, given the regs as they stand, and the law.

@Aprilx

The rules in your local area, and the view of the actual law concerned will differ according to where you live.

What happened OP?

God I always feel awkward if I do this for a minute or two whilst I dash into the house! Very selfish.

@Steptoeshorse1965

Have a look at the Traffic Management Act 2004.

I was going to point to that act also.

@PenguinIce

Legal or not anyone who blocks someone’s drive is rude. I can’t understand why anyone would think it is ok to do it!

Yes, it could well be considered rude, but there is very little in actual enforceable law that you can do about it. Provided local regs are abided by and the vehicle is taxed and legal. But simply stamping your feet (Not you) Is about the limit of it. Simply no one, and everyone has a right to park on the road, it's free to all comers, first come, first served.

Steptoeshorse1965 I suggest you read some of the posts above. It is an offence to block a dropped kerb and there certainly are things which can be done about it.

I work for the police and if someone blocks someones driveway and the control room cant find a number for the registered keeper or someone on the insurance to tell them to move it, then we will send someone down to check and tow the car if its causing an obstruction

I have called local police. If you have a dropped kerb and they're blocking you in that's ok. I'd probably see if it's a repeating issue first though and put a note on the windscreen first just to keep neighbourly relationships ok, but no way they should be doing this it's not really on.

A dropped curb isn't the road, you need to read the law. Although I suspect the offender op may be steptoehourse1965

@N51BU - did you find out who blocked you in? I'd be glueing a piece of paper tonthe windscreen saying do not f'ing park outside a driveway - most annoying!

My driveway is the end of a road with gates abutting a main road with double yellow lines, marked white line no parking and a sign on the gates asking people not to park and they do, continuously. If I ask them not to I get sworn at - people are selfish pricks

Thanks for the replies

The car was gone in the morning, I'm not sure how long it stayed after I went to bed. A delivery driver parking for minutes I haven't got a problem with but this was forty five minutes and counting and all the lights were on in the house so it was clear that we hadn't gone to bed. How did they know we didn't want to go out?, they didn't!

We live a four minute drive from the hospital or a fifteen minute walk. I guess in an emergency I would have no option but to call an ambulance but I'm not sure how long we'd have to wait

Photo of said car:

If it's a real emergency then you call 999. If you've got some time then call a taxi. Lots of people don't have cars.

Sounds like there was no problem in the end.

Must be a weekend for it.

The other neighbours from hell have done something similar to us this weekend.

People are very strange