A travelling Brit has made an interesting observation about the parking habits of drivers in Australia, something he says is far from the norm in the UK.
Bobby Louth, who is travelling the country, said he’s “got a bone to pick” with Aussies about how cars park on the street — they all tend to face the same direction.
“Can someone please explain it to me?” the English visitor asked this week online.
He joked that the Australian approach has at times made it “an absolute nightmare to find a park”.
Speaking to Yahoo News, Bobby said he’s primarily “noticed it in the busy and built-up areas in the city” but, interestingly, “it hasn’t stood out as much elsewhere”. He shared pictures of cars parked in Sydney.
The difference left him wondering: “What is the need for that — what is the reasoning?”
“You’ve got to go to the end of the road, turn around, and then go in it,” he said.
Bobby said the rule is much more noticeable in Aussie cities, and something he’s not used to at home.
(Tiktok/@bobbylouth63Bo)What’s behind this parking quirk in Australia?
In many parts of Australia, drivers are required to park in the same direction as traffic is travelling. The idea is mainly for safety.
Cars are easier to see at night because reflectors and lights face approaching traffic correctly, and it avoids vehicles pulling out into the flow of traffic.
However, enforcement and signage can vary between states and councils, and the rule applies to the direction of travel, not necessarily that every car on a street must face the same way.
The reason Bobby noticed it is that in many UK areas, drivers are more accustomed to parking in either direction where permitted.
Last year, another British man was caught by surprise, copping a $272 fine for parking the wrong way in Sydney.
His white Suzuki was nose-to-nose with the car parked next to him.
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NRMA road safety expert Dimitra Vlahomitros previously told Yahoo News Australia that parking in the wrong direction is “dangerous and can add to congestion” when motorists are forced to pull out of their parking space into oncoming traffic.
“Parking on the wrong side of the road is never a good idea, particularly at night when visibility is reduced,” she said.
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