Warning for drivers that risk getting £100 fine over simple parking error

01 October 2023 , 21:35

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Elderly drivers could be slapped with a £100 fine for making a major error when parking their vehicles (Image: Getty Images)

Drivers might be hit with a £100 fine for making a huge error when parking their vehicles.

If motorists stop in a disabled parking bay and don't have a valid blue badge, they could be issued with a strict penalty. Older road users are more susceptible to making the mistakes as disabled parking bays are typically located nearby to stores.

However, experts have warned motorists that only blue badge holders should park in these bays as offenders are likely to face severe consequences. A new survey from CarMats.co.uk found one in 20 motorists across all age ranges admit to unauthorised parking.

Five per cent of the 1,366 respondents admitted to parking in disabled spaces when they shouldn't with seven per cent doing the same for parent-child bays. Ash Young, founder of CarMats.co.uk said parking in these spaces can cause headaches for motorists. In some cases, he warned disabled people may even ditch their shopping if they can’t find a comfortable place to park.

Mr Young told The Daily Express: “Our survey results show that there’s still a lot of unauthorised use of parking spaces. They’re designed to make it easier for anyone with specific needs so they can access shops, facilities and services.

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“Parking in these when you don’t need them can make it really difficult or impossible for those who require them to go about their daily life. Some disabled people may even be forced to abandon a shopping trip and go home if they can’t find suitable parking”.

Drivers who ignore the rules and park in spaces illegally could be slapped with a fine between £70 and £100. Meanwhile, road users who use a blue badge without being entitled could be issued a whopping £1,000 charge. Specialists have reminded motorists that a blue badge is linked to a specific person and not a vehicle.

This means that you can still use a blue badge in a vehicle which is not owned by the disabled person if they come along as well. However, this would mean the blue badge could not be used if you borrow a disabled person’s car without them in attendance.

Age UK added: “Disabled parking spaces are generally the same width as standard bays, however, there is more space between each bay that is usually marked out with white or yellow crosses on the road to enable sufficient access for those with limited mobility and wheelchair users. This makes them approximately 1.2 metres wider than a standard space and they have a total width of 3.6 metres.”

Luke Chillingsworth