Driving wrong way in supermarket car park

Rover_Driver

interstellaflyer wrote: »

But real traffic regulations don't apply do they so why would anyone be adhering to a 5mph speed limit? Anyway, if my local Tesco car park is anything to go by 25 to 30 would be more likely on the perimeter roads and up to 20 mph down the roads where the parking bays are so definitely a safety risk.

Some sections of the Road Traffic Act 1988 do apply in supermarket car parks, including s.3 - driving without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other road users.

Although there may be no powers to enforce a speed limit, excessive speed for the conditions may be considered to be an offence contrary to s.3.

pc1271

Exactly. Drive carefully, considerately and safely and you can ignore the ambiguous, unclear or downright misleading white paint.

prowla

photome wrote: »

How do you load your shopping in the boot, I hope you arent one of those who push their trolleys between 2 parked cars and then scraping one of them (wouldnt be your own of course).

It happens a lot

You'd be lucky to find a car park with spaces big enough to fit a trolley through the gap in our area!

motch

anyway, In answer to original posters question. No you will not get a ticket for driving the wrong way in a supermarket car park because it's private land, it's not the highway, they have no way of enforcing it legally, and they won't try to.

I'm not saying it's the right thing to do though.

interstellaflyer

Rover_Driver wrote: »

Some sections of the Road Traffic Act 1988 do apply in supermarket car parks, including s.3 - driving without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other road users.

Although there may be no powers to enforce a speed limit, excessive speed for the conditions may be considered to be an offence contrary to s.3.

I realize that, my post was supposed to be a slightly sarcastic reply to londontiger.

photome

prowla wrote: »

You'd be lucky to find a car park with spaces big enough to fit a trolley through the gap in our area!

maybe MrsImp makes that gap bigger with her trolley

Nilrem

One thing to bear in mind with regards to supermarket car parks etc, as Vikingaero says a lot of the RTA does apply to areas the public have access to, regardless of it it's "private" land (with no barrier to entry at the time*), or council/government owned.

However most insurance companies will also look at things like the markings in the car park, and take the attitude that you should still be taking notice of them, if only for advice (IE you ignore them at your own risk, if you ignore a "stop" line in a car park and get hit by a car following the suggested layout** of the "road" you're likely to be seen more at fault).

Having said that, unless you're involved in an accident you're not likely to get done for going against the markings in a car park, although common sense and good manners would suggest you do obey them, as others will likely expect you to.


*IIRC one of the minor oddities of the RTA is that some of it can apply to land at times, but not others - IE a farmers field with a gate would not normally be covered by most of the RTA (as it's blocked from access to the road), but if he were to have members of the public at an open event on the land, it would likely be covered.

**several of my local car parks have "stop" lines at places where you would be silly to ignore them due to the layout (they've basically been put down as a warning).

rev_henry

In conclusion - obey zebra crossings, they're helpful and increase safety.
Silly one way systems - ignore if the car park's empty etc.

And on the subject of reverse parking. I always try to do this where possible. As well as making it easier to get out, you perform all your low speed manoevring when the car is warmed up (i.e. reversing at the end of your journey to said car park), which the car prefers.

kingfisherblue

Our local Tesco doesn't have its own car park - just the one owned by the council. On the same site are a library, community centre, and several other shops.

rev_henry

kingfisherblue wrote: »

Our local Tesco doesn't have its own car park - just the one owned by the council. On the same site are a library, community centre, and several other shops.

Cool story bro.