Is it illegal to block a drive in front of a property if there is no car parked in the drive?

Ollie Wally

good one, it is not illegal unless there is a hazard marking on the road or emergency vehicles need access. it is however rude and ignorant and the only thing you can do about it is try and talk to people if you catch them parking (it is regular people) or get photographic evidence and take it to the council and see if they will paint hazard marking or put up signs indicating no parking...godd luck anyway

Andrew H

yes as it's still blocking a right of way

Jayde A

Yes of course because the owner of the property could come back at anytime and your vehicle would be blocking the way

Pink Panther2 U

Yes. I believe that in every state in the U.S. it is illegal to block a driveway, because.... they are driveways.

evil_streak_78

Yes it is illegal. You cannot block someones driveway to a business or home.

neogriff

If there is a dropped kerb yes as it is a right of way. People who block my driveway find that their cars have moved quite a way down the road with the help of my landrover. It's rude and inconsiderate.

Whistler R

Of course it is. Would you appreciate someone blocking access to your front doorway? It is common sense really but unfortunately there are very many ignorant selfish drivers about. They would be the first to complain I am sure.

Mariner

I'm sure most states have laws forbidding the parking of cars in front of a driveway. How is the the owner of the property going to park in the driveway if you're blocking it? Don't block the driveway, OK?

barney

If there is a dropped curb then yes it is illegal to block a driveway regardless of weather there is a car there or not however the police are reluctant to get involved in things like this if it's a neighbour etc

justabitbitter147

yes it is. what state do you live in ? oh and everything that is illegal doesn't mean you'll you be incarcerated, you could just get a ticket and have to pay a fine.

Judith

Why would you be so inconsiderate as to do it? What if they came home from somewhere?
How do you know when they will need it? Maybe someone works the night shift.

If there is a dropped kerb then the householder is entitled to ask the Council to come and tow the car away. Then the car owner has to quite literally pay for their inconsideration.

nkcliff

probably not but ignorant and arrogant, yes

The Tank

Parking on a public road when there are no posted restrictions is not illegal as such. However, you could be found guilty of other offences (not just bad manners).

You could be "invited" by the police to remove your car because it's blocking someone's access to thier property. That will be the offence that they'll charge you with.

Also, you could be preventing an emergency vehicle gaining access. If that happened they'd just pull your car out of the way then throw the book at you.

gomanyes562

Yes. Just because there is no car there right now doesn't mean that no car will want to come later.

joan k

Yes it is and the Police can charge you. Suggest you read the Highway Code.

smile_its_not_that_painfull

Yes it is illegal!! And highly inconsiderate! How would you feel if you couldn't get in and out of your driveway? I say anyone that parks in front of someone else's driveway deserves to get their car rammed out of the way.

Fred C

If it isn't illegal to block my driveway, then how could it possibly be illegal for me to ram the blockading vehicle out of the way, destroying it in the process?
Of course it is illegal to block somebody's driveway.
The access to a driveway is not part of the public road available for parking, just as the access to a fire hydrant isn't, or the part close to a stop sign, yield sign, or crosswalk. You can drive on it all, you can't park on it all. You cannot block your own driveway for that matter, although some cities (for example Georsell parking passes for a fee, anywhere from $15 to $180 a year, in areas with short driveways, allowing a person to block his own driveway with his second vehicle while the first one is actually parked in the drive.

In Springfield, IL, the fine is $25, $50 if not paid in 14 days.
In Seattle, the fine is $38.
In Philadelphia, the fine is $41.
In San Francisco, the fine is $75.

mischievous

It's not whether there is a car already parked in the drive, one may return at any moment. You should not park there if the resident has a dropped kerb, one that has been installed by the local council or their contractor. A pair of wooden slopes does not count.

What the Heck

If you don't have a drive and you want a drive, you apply to the council for a "Right of Way" so you can drive off the road, over the pavement and onto your drive.

Therefore, I would say it's quite logical that parking across a right of way would get you into trouble.

At the end of the day, it just boils down to being decent and showing respect anyhow. Suppose now-a-days, that's gone!

steffi

If the owner wanted to drive into his property, in the UK you could be done for obstruction.

groovymaude

Yes if there is a dropped kerb, you are not only blocking the drive as the owner of trhe house may come back but also obstructing access for disabled people.

iru21

yes your still blocking right of way if there isn't car in the drive then your blocking right of entry

Tina

Maybe not illegal, but its inconsiderate and unethical to block a driveway... there is still a possibility that the owner could drive in anytime if the car is not in the drive. It's a rule that all drivers should know and it's common sense as well not to block a driveway.......!

david b

it is illegal if there is a drop curb.

Bardic

In the UK, there's no right or wrong answer to this, it depends entirely on your local authority.

ben dover

not sure if its illegal, but it is v inconsiderate.
i had it done to me recently so i backed my truck up to it & pushed it up the road a few feet.
they havent done it since i did that.
if it happens again i have a friend with a tow truck who says he can remove it & drop it off in a really bad no parking spot.

saharaaj

it is legal if property occupier have assuranced u that during the occupancy property occupant car will not arrive.
Otherwise
it amounts to obstructing right of way

the boss

No
Its only illegal if you block a car in and they can't get out.

The One

If the car is not on the drive then no its not illegall but if it is then you are causing an obstruction but its not a really good idea to park across a drive way out of respect.

doc rock

no, because they dont own the road although its nice to be nice,so dont block it.

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