Many motorists are unaware of this, but parking your vehicle near a pedestrian crossing can be very expensive.
The lack of parking spaces in cities sometimes pushes motorists to park almost anywhere. To avoid going in circles for several minutes, some people are willing to risk a fine by parking their vehicle in a space reserved for taxis, deliveries, cash carriers and sometimes even in those intended for people with reduced mobility. There are also those who stop on a sidewalk or on a pedestrian crossing, forcing them to go around the car to cross the road. Drivers know that it is forbidden to park in these spaces but do so knowingly. But it sometimes happens that you park your car in a place that you thought was authorized and which in fact is not.
This is particularly the case for parking next to pedestrian crossings. Because yes, if the law punishes motorists who park on the wide horizontal white stripes, it also punishes those who park near zebra crossings. This is quite new, but since the start of 2020 it is strictly forbidden to park your vehicle less than 5 meters upstream of a pedestrian crossing, unless it is a demarcated parking space. by marking on the ground. For example, on a road without ground markings for parking, parking before a pedestrian crossing is authorized on the sole condition of leaving a distance of five meters between the bumper of your car and the start of the white stripes.
Parking less than five meters upstream of a pedestrian crossing without a space provided for this purpose is the same as parking on a pedestrian crossing. Parking is then considered “very inconvenient” because it reduces the field of vision of motorists when they approach pedestrian crossings. This offense is punishable by a 4th class fine in the amount of 135 euros, and the penalty can rise up to 575 euros if the payment deadline is exceeded. There is also the risk of your vehicle being impounded, which again represents a significant expense.
To strengthen safety around pedestrian crossings, sites of too many bodily accidents, all cities in France have no longer had the right, for three years, to offer new parking spaces – we are therefore talking about those demarcated by broken lines – less than 5 meters before a pedestrian crossing. And all those already existing must be removed by the roads by December 31, 2026. All with the aim of improving the visibility of motorists vis-à-vis pedestrians and allowing the latter to cross the road more peacefully. .