Motorists parking on roads at night could face fines of up to £1,000 under Highway Code Rule 248, which prohibits parking against the direction of traffic flow outside recognised parking spaces. As evenings grow darker, drivers are urged to remember the regulation, which many overlook on residential roads.
Expert warns of common oversight
Lee Caroline, motoring expert at Surrey car scrap firm LJC Auto Spares, said the rule is easy to miss, especially when drivers pull into the nearest available spot outside their homes. He explained: "It's not something most people think about when they're parking. If there's a space outside your house, you tend to pull into it without considering which direction the car is facing."
Caroline added: "But once it gets dark, that direction matters. If you're facing the wrong way, the car isn't being presented to approaching traffic in the way the rules require." The regulation is not about convenience for morning departures but about making parked vehicles easier for other motorists to spot.
Why direction matters at night
The rule comes into play more as evenings draw in. Caroline noted: "Your rear reflectors are there for a reason. When another car approaches, its headlights can pick up those reflectors and make the parked vehicle more obvious." He warned: "If you've parked facing the other way, the driver coming towards you isn't getting that same reflection from the back of your car. On a dark or poorly lit road, that's not something you want to rely on."
Fines and simple checks
Breaching the rule can lead to a fine of up to £1,000, rising to £2,500 for goods vehicles and passenger vehicles carrying more than eight people. Caroline advises drivers to take a second before leaving a car parked on the street at night. He said: "Just look at the direction you're facing. If you're parked on the road rather than in a marked parking space, you should be facing the same way as the traffic. It takes seconds to check and it's a much better habit to get into than finding out about the rule because you've received a fine."
