What are the Parking Rules?

As a responsible driver, you also need to be courteous and thoughtful of the safety of others on the road when it comes to parking.

• Never stop and block a traffic lane, whether it is for a short period of time, for parallel parking, or any other reason.
• Never leave or abandon your car in a traffic lane. If your car is broken down in a traffic lane, turn on your emergency light, and if it is safe, leave your car and move quickly to a safe location away from traffic.
• Never park, leave or abandon your car on a freeway. If you park your vehicle on the freeway for more than four hours, it can legally be towed.
• If you must stop on a highway or freeway because of an emergency, or if you get pulled over by an officer, try to safely pull over to the side of the road as far away from the traffic as possible.
• If your car breaks down to a point that you cannot pull over to the side of the highway, turn on your emergency lights immediately; if there are cars behind you, you need to push your brakes slightly, so they see your brake lights and know that you are stopping. It may be safer because cars are going around you to call 911 or highway patrol and ask for help.
• Never leave or abandon your car in an intersection.
• Never park, leave, or abandon your car on a railroad track or within 7-1⁄2 feet of one.
• Never park, leave or abandon your car on a bridge or in a tunnel.

• Leave the car in a low gear (manual transmission) or in Park (P) (automatic transmission).
• Always use your parking brake.
• Position your front wheels in a way that will direct your car to roll away from traffic if your brakes fail.

• You should turn your front wheels towards the curb or side of the road, so if your car starts rolling down, it gets stopped by the curb and/or rolls away from traffic.

• If there is a curb, you should turn your front wheels away from the curb, so if your car starts rolling down, it gets stopped by the curb.
• If there is not a curb, you should turn your front wheels toward the curb, so if your car starts rolling down, it does not roll away into the traffic.

• alongside of a red curb
• in an area with a NO PARKING sign
• in a parking space for drivers with disabilities (unless you have a disability plate or placard)
• 15 feet or closer to a fire hydrant or fire station driveway
• on a sidewalk or within 3 feet of a sidewalk ramp
• on a crosswalk (marked or unmarked)
• on the crosshatch-patterned space next to a space for drivers with disabilities
• alongside other legally parked cars on a street (double parking)
• in front of a driveway
• on the wrong side of the street
• in a space marked for zero-emission vehicles with a valid decal