Drivers have been warned they could face £100 fines and points on a licence for breaking a major Highway Code safety rule.
The warning follows more motorists receiving fines for reckless parking while waiting to pick up a takeaway.
Rule 242 of the Code details how drivers must not leave their vehicle or trailer in a dangerous position or where it causes any unnecessary obstruction of the road.
As the Euros and Wimbledon tournaments conclude this weekend, more Britons look to settle in with a takeaway, but going to pick it up could see them fined.
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Drivers can be fined for reckless parking Badly Parked OxfordExperts flagged that drivers are often tempted to park irresponsibly in order to quickly pick up food.
That means double parking, pavement straddling, and taking a risk on double yellow lines, all of which are finable offences.
If a car is causing an obstruction, however, it can become a police matter as the offence of ‘leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position’ attracts an immediate £100 fine.
It can also leave motorists with three points on a driver’s licence. If they reach 12 points, then they could be slapped with a ban.
Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, said: “You might only be popping into your local restaurant to pick up a curry or kebab, but if you’ve parked inconsiderately, you risk falling foul of the law.”
He added that if a driver stops in the middle of the road or blocks it in another driver they could be fined.
Similarly, if they are obstructing a pavement, parking on a blind corner, or leaving the vehicle in a dip in the road, it’s an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988.
The Road Traffic Act detailed: “If a person in charge of a vehicle causes or permits the vehicle or a trailer drawn by it to remain at rest on a road in such a position or in such condition or in such circumstances as to involve a danger of injury to other persons using the road, he is guilty of an offence.”
Conway explained that there are myriad ways in which parked vehicles could be judged as a “danger” to others, and that includes parking less than 10m away from a junction.
He said: “And while you might assume you’ll be in and out of the restaurant with your food before anyone even notices your poor parking, it only takes a second for the police to see it and take action.”
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 also states that drivers cannot leave a car anywhere that’s convenient.
“No person in charge of a motor vehicle or trailer shall cause or permit the vehicle to stand on a road so as to cause any unnecessary obstruction of the road,” it reads.
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Parking on a double yellow line could see drivers fined
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Meanwhile, Rule 244 of the Code also prevents drivers from partially or wholly on the pavement in London.
Parking on the pavement can “obstruct and seriously inconvenience” pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.
Drivers in a hurry to get a takeaway this weekend should instead park up properly before going to pick up.