Warning to drivers: when can a car left in the yard be fined or even towed?



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Andrius Žiukelis, head of the Expertise Department of the insurance company BTA, points out that the mentality of personal comfort continues to prevail, when it is chosen to give a hand to other road users and the general situation.

“The issue of the lack of parking spaces is relevant in the most densely populated cities. This can be a problem for both old construction and brand new neighborhoods. Families do not have a car at the same time, they do not want to leave it in paid places, so at any cost they try to break into the spaces near the house: leave it on the lawn, sidewalk, other drivers’ garment, entrances, garbage containers. This makes it difficult for doctors, firefighters or waste managers, who cannot even enter the yard or are forced to maneuver dangerously there, ”says A. Žiukelis.

According to him, after the return of vacationers after the summer, this problem becomes especially relevant. Drivers are advised to observe warning signs, labels, and markings, but even this may not save them from a violation.

The Road Safety Law stipulates that a vehicle can be transported by force even if it is possible to park in a specific place, if the urbanized area is hampered by cleaning and management by municipal authorities, rescue work, settlement of the accident or when the car must be impounded due to an official visit.

Drivers run the risk of being fined for leaving a car in an unauthorized location or obstructing special services, and an interfering car may have to be returned to a special parking lot. You will definitely have to pay for the forced removal and storage of the car.

When assessing claims, insurers are often faced with situations where special services delay entry due to interference from other drivers, such as blocked access or barricades. For example, there are cases where police officers face obstacles in responding quickly to a robbery call, and long-fingered people get more time and manage to escape.

Given the lack of parking spaces, A. Žiukelis advises looking for possible solutions and not trying to fit into the yard at any cost. For example, in Vilnius, for people living in the central part of the city, the registration address allows them to leave the car in paid places on the streets for a symbolic fee at a certain distance from the place of residence. It may also be appropriate to assess the number of vehicles available or the possibility of choosing alternative modes of transport.

“It is unlikely that services that focus on providing assistance or services will be able to collect evidence of a parking violation in the first place, but that does not mean that you can continue to do so. Think about the fact that the help of doctors, firefighters, when every minute or even second is important, it may be needed next time. It’s also unpleasant to live with overcrowded trash cans that are not accessible to haulers. If other neighbors are tired of this kind of thing, they have a really wide range of opportunities to report parking violations, so do not be surprised if officials contact you to warn you or if they inform you of a case of administrative misconduct and eventually you are fined, “warns the specialist.

Advise common sense and remember to assess whether the car being dropped off will not interfere with other drivers, whether drivers near parked cars will be able to open the door and get into your car, or whether there is enough room for pedestrians to pass. It is much less common to think about whether a larger vehicle such as a fire or ambulance will fit, although urgent and immediate assistance may be needed at any time.



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