How long can you park at a highway service area?
2 Answers
There is no time limit for parking at service areas; you can park as long as you want. Here is some information about highway service areas: 1. Highway service areas: Also known as highway service stations. A highway service area is a place specifically designed for passengers and drivers to rest, providing facilities such as parking lots, public restrooms, gas stations, vehicle repair shops, dining areas, and small stores, with an average spacing of about 50 kilometers. 2. Facilities at highway service areas: Include accommodation (including parking), dining, refueling, and vehicle repair functions. Service areas are essential facilities on highways, providing services to highway users, which are crucial for ensuring driving safety, transportation efficiency, alleviating drivers' physical fatigue, and addressing vehicle usage limits.
This question has been asked by many people. I've been running long-distance freight for over a decade, and parking at highway service areas is actually quite flexible. There's no unified regulation on the maximum parking time limit, but we mainly park to relieve fatigue, refuel, and use the restroom. I've observed that many service areas monitor vehicles that stay too long. Parking overnight usually incurs fees, and may even be treated as illegal parking. Once at a service area in Hunan, I received a parking fee notice after just three hours, calculated hourly. I remember seeing news last year about someone who parked for three days and got towed, with the reason being occupying emergency resources. A reasonable 2-hour stop is enough for rest and meals—don't overstay and inconvenience other drivers. Highway patrols are frequent, and staying over 24 hours will likely get you asked to leave the service area.
