How long can you park temporarily on the roadside?
2 Answers
You can park temporarily on the roadside for 5 minutes, provided that the driver does not leave the vehicle (temporary boarding and alighting is allowed). If the driver leaves the vehicle, it is considered a violation even if the vehicle is not turned off. Below are some roadside parking tips: 1. Always park in designated areas where parking is permitted. Solid blue lines indicate free long-term parking, dashed blue lines and dashed yellow lines indicate temporary parking, and white lines indicate paid parking. 2. Do not exceed 5 minutes when parking temporarily. Electronic surveillance captures illegal parking within 5 minutes, which is not considered a violation, but exceeding 5 minutes is considered illegal parking.
I remember studying this in detail when I was driving. Temporary parking refers to situations where the driver remains in the vehicle, and regulations vary significantly by location. Generally, if you see a yellow dashed line marking on the roadside, these temporary parking spots usually allow stays of 3 to 5 minutes—enough time to pick up a package or someone. However, parking is completely prohibited on urban main roads, even if you're waiting in the car; you might get ticketed within two minutes. On highways, temporary parking is strictly forbidden unless it's an emergency. The safest approach is to check for no-parking signs—some places clearly state a 3-minute limit with surveillance cameras monitoring the area. In such cases, it's better to circle around a couple more times rather than risk it. If you encounter a patrolling traffic officer, they're usually more lenient and might give you a precise time allowance.
