As a good driver, you’re supposed to know how to park, where to park, and the direction to park to avoid parking the wrong way or place and causing a traffic jam or an accident.
Since street parking is essential, parking the wrong way could be very dangerous. Therefore, in this article, we will be discussing the legality and illegality of parking the wrong way on a residential street.
Can You Park the Wrong Way on a Residential Street?
Yes, you can park the wrong way on a residential street if the laws of your state of residence are not against it. However, you should never park the wrong way on a residential street if the laws of your state of residence prohibit drivers/vehicle owners from doing so.
Is it Illegal to Park the Wrong Way on a Residential Street?
The legality and illegality of parking the wrong way on a residential street depends on the laws of your state of residence.
As reiterated earlier, if your state of residence clearly prohibits vehicles from being parked in the wrong way on a residential street, then you shouldn’t park the wrong way to avoid being ticketed. However, if the laws of your state did not say about it, then, you can park where you want.
For example, in Illinois, it is illegal to park the wrong way on a residential street. According to the Illinois Vehicle Code.
“Every vehicle stopped or parked upon a one-way roadway shall be so stopped or parked parallel to the curb or edge of the roadway, in the direction of authorized traffic movement, with its right-hand wheels within 12 inches of the right-hand curb or as close as practicable,”
But in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Vehicle Code states that it is legal to park pointing the wrong way on any street that has no more than one lane in each direction and is not divided by a solid line.
So the legality and illegality of this depend on your state of residence as well as the law of your country. In some parts of Europe, it is totally okay to park facing both directions on the street as seen in the image below.
In Canada, you’re not only prohibited from parking the wrong way on a residential street but you’re also prohibited from parking more than 18 inches from the curb. Therefore, if you parked facing the right way but parked more than 18 inches from the curb, you will be fined.
A Quora user by the name of David Robert Cohen explained his ordeal when he parked the wrong way on his recent visit to Canada. According to him;
“On a recent visit to Canada, I hired a car and parked outside a friend’s house in a village near Montreal. He came out to tell me that not only was I going to be fined for parking my car in the wrong direction but I would receive a second fine because my wheels weren’t turned in toward the curb”.
In Washington DC, it is illegal to park the wrong way on a residential street if there is a painted center lane-dividing line. However, if there’s no center lane dividing line, you can park.
But if the painted center lane dividing line exists and you park facing the wrong way, you can be cited for parking contrary to the direction of traffic on the side your car is on.
Another Quora user by the name Margarita who lives in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia says she got a $100 fine in South Melbourne for facing the wrong way when she pulled over to make a call in a side street.
With all these examples, it’s obvious that the legality and illegality of parking the wrong way on a residential street depends on the law of your country as well as your state of residence.
So the best way to be certain is by checking the vehicle code of your state of residence. Knowing what the code says about parking will guide you and prevent you from falling into the wrought of the law. You can see how cars are properly parked facing/pointing the same way in the picture below.
From the image below, cars are parked pointing/facing different ways contrary to how it is parked on the image above.
The two images above clarify that the legality and illegality of parking the wrong way on a residential street depends on the laws of the state. Parking rules differ from one state to another, knowing what the parking rule says in your state of residence is the best step to not getting ticketed by police officers.
Reasons Why People Park the Wrong Way on a Residential Street
The reasons why people park the wrong way on a residential street is because:
1. They Followed/Drove Down One Way Street
One of the reasons why people park the wrong way on a residential street is because they follow a one-way street either knowingly or unknowingly. In the end, they park how they are not supposed to park.
2. They Don’t Know the Law
People park the wrong way on a residential street because they don’t know what the laws of their state of residence say about parking the wrong way on a residential street.
If Margarita knew the laws of South Melbourne, she wouldn’t have parked in the wrong way which prompted her to get a $100 ticket. She would have parked the right way to answer her call, hence not breaking any rules.
3. Not Wanting to Drive Around the Block
Another reason why people end up parking the wrong way on a residential street is because they are too lazy and do not want to drive around the block to park the right way.
Be that as it may, it is important to note that parking pointing the different way as seen in the picture above is different from parking on the wrong side on a residential street. In the US, the wrong side is usually the left side. So, it’s important to take note of that.
Parking the Wrong Way on a Residential Street in California
You will get a ticket for parking the wrong way on a residential street in California because according to Section 22502(a) of the California Vehicle Code states;
“a vehicle stopped or parked upon a roadway with adjacent curbs or class IV bikeways, as defined in Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways Code, shall be stopped or parked with the right-hand wheels of the vehicle parallel to, and within 18 inches of, the right-hand curb or the right-hand edge of the class IV bikeway, except that a motorcycle shall be parked with at least one wheel or fender touching the right-hand curb or edge. If no curbs, barriers, or class IV bikeways bound a two-way roadway, right-hand parallel parking is required unless otherwise indicated”.
Therefore, parking on the wrong side of a street is a violation because the right-hand wheels are more than 18 inches from the right-hand curb.
Can You Get a Ticket for Parking the Wrong Way on a Neighborhood?
Yes, you can get a ticket for parking the wrong way on a neighborhood and residential street. For example, in Pennsylvania, you can get up to a $300 fine in ticket for parking the wrong way on a residential street.
Penalties for Parking the Wrong Way on a Residential Street
The penalties for parking the wrong way in a residential street range from citations, and tickets, to being fined. You will be cited and issued a ticket with a fine to pay. The fine can be up to $100 – $300.
Parking the Wrong Way on a Residential Street in Texas
Parking the wrong way on a residential street in Texas is a Class C Misdemeanor punishable by a fine ranging from $25 to $75. According to the Texas Transportation Code 545.303;
“An operator of a motor vehicle who stops or parks on a two-way roadway shall do so with the right-hand wheels of the vehicle parallel to and within 18” of the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. A violation of this is a Class C Misdemeanor punishable by a fine”.
Conclusion
The legality and illegality of parking the wrong way on a residential street depends on the parking laws of your country as well as your state of residence, therefore, you are urged to study the vehicle codes very well to know when, where, and how to park your vehicle to avoid getting ticked.
Please, check the vehicle code or transportation code of your state of residence before concluding that you can park however you want. If you can’t find it, call the appropriate authorities in charge of Vehicles and transportation. They are in the best position to tell you what to do.