Is there a time limit for parking on the side of the road?
2 Answers
There is a time limit for parking on the side of the road. Here are the detailed introductions: 1. White line parking spaces: Parking spaces with white lines allow for long-term parking. When temporarily parking on the roadside at night, turn off the headlights and turn on the hazard lights. Motor vehicles must turn on the width lights and taillights at night or in windy, rainy, snowy, or foggy weather. 2. Yellow line parking spaces: Do not stay in yellow line parking spaces for more than 5 minutes. 3. Yellow dotted lines on the roadside: If the roadside has yellow dotted lines, you can stay for about 10 minutes or less. 4. Yellow solid lines on the roadside: If the roadside has yellow solid lines, parking is prohibited.
I think there's no absolute answer to the time limit for roadside parking—it mainly depends on where you park and the situation. With over ten years of driving experience, I often make temporary stops in the city to wait for friends or grab coffee. Parking for a few minutes is usually fine, but if you leave it for half a day, the police might show up. I remember once waiting over 20 minutes for my wife to pick clothes outside a mall and getting a $200 ticket. Near fire hydrants or bus stops, parking is completely prohibited—no time limit even applies. On highways, if you make an emergency stop, you must resolve the issue and leave ASAP; staying too long could lead to rear-end collisions. So my advice is to check signs before parking. If there are none, estimate and don’t exceed 15 minutes. Local rules vary—some places are strict like time bombs. Get in the habit of moving quickly in and out, and you’ll be fine.
