Is this a Legal Road Marking?

Q.

A white line has recently been painted on the road near my home. It looks like and H with a long middle, it is approximately 5 m long.

The occupier of the house has disabled parking only signs in his house window. Is this a legal road marking for disabled parking?

A.

If a disabled resident has requested a disabled parking space and their application has been accepted, they would usually be provided with a rectangular space outside the property that they reside in. In most cases, the space provided would be in the region of 6.6m x 2.7m, laid out in 50mm white painted lines. Although the disabled parking bay will have been requested by a specific resident or residents, and the application approved, the council will not be able to guarantee that the space is always reserved for that one person - any blue badge holder would be legally allowed to use the bay.

So what is the H-Bar Marking For?

If the property has a marking that looks like an elongated 'H' Bar on the road outside, then it is not there as a disabled parking bay, it is actually there to remind other road users that there is a need for constant access to the driveway or entrance and that they should not park there under any circumstances.

Where Should the Markings Be?

The markings on the H-Bar are usually the same width as the driveway, and so should mark the area where the kerb becomes sloped on either side - this means that they are usually placed around a metre or so from the edge of the drive.

It's my H-Bar marking - can I park there?

It is important that if an application for a disabled access parking space is accepted, then the resident does not park any vehicles there, regardless of whether or not they have a disabled badge. If people are visiting them, they should also avoid parking there. The whole point of the bay markings is to show that it is important that there is access available to the driveway at all times, and if someone consistently parks over the markings, then the H-bars will be removed by the council as they will be deemed not necessary.

What Happens if Someone Ignores the Markings and Obstructs the Driveway?

If someone parks over the H-Bar markings and obstructs the entrance to the driveway, then depending on local council regulations for the area of residency, then a fixed penalty notice may be issued to the offending driver.