Parking in a disabled space?

Captain Slow IRL

Can you park in a disabled space, if you have no sticker, but you do have a disabled passenger that has to get out?

Bruthal

Well it would seem better than parking in a disabled space because the driver has the sticker, but no disabled person in the car.

slimjimmc

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

Can you park in a disabled space, if you have no sticker, but you do have a disabled passenger that has to get out?

No, but I can't see any one cruel enough to fine you for letting someone clearly disabled in/out so long as your not parking up for a while.


Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations, 1997

Disabled Persons' Parking Bays
44. (1) Subject to sub-article (2), where traffic sign number RRM 015 [Disabled Persons Parking Bay] is provided, a vehicle shall not be stopped or parked.

(2) Sub-article (1) shall not apply to a vehicle in which is displayed a disabled person's parking permit and which is parked for the convenience of the person to whom the permit was granted.

Definition of a disabled person given in 2011 amendment

(2) In this article, ‘disabled person’ means a person with a permanent condition or disability that severely restricts his or her ability to walk.

-Chris-

I've have no issue with that, although I'd either try and stay with the car while they went about their business or I'd repark the car once they were out - only to save myself from being clamped.

vectra

There is a difference between "Stopping" and parking

coylemj

vectra wrote: »

There is a difference between "Stopping" and parking

+1 I have no qualms about using a disabled spot to set down/pick up my 85 year old mother at the shops but I always park in a regular slot. If the driver is able-bodied there is no excuse in my book for using a disabled spot, with or without a sticker.

fussyonion

No, you should have your own disability badge!
You don't have to be a wheelchair user to acquire on-you could have walking disabilities or limited mobility and you would qualify, but it irks me so much when I saw people parking the disabled bay without a permit!
Just apply if you or your relative is entitled to one

coylemj

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

Can you park in a disabled space, if you have no sticker, but you do have a disabled passenger that has to get out?

I think we need the OP to clarify something....

When you say 'park', do you mean that you leave the car there or are you talking about stopping in a disabled for a couple of minutes to set down or pick up your disabled passenger?

If you mean 'park' in the sense that you are going to leave the car there while both of you go into the shop then the straight answer to your question is 'no' because without a sticker you are liable to be fined or clamped depending on whether it's on private property (e.g. a shopping centre) or the public street.

By what means do you expect a traffic warden to figure out that you have a disabled passenger when all he or she can see is an empty car in a disabled slot with no sticker?

coylemj

coylemj wrote: »

If the driver is able-bodied there is no excuse in my book for using a disabled spot, with or without a sticker.

What if their passenger is disabled and they do have a sticker?

coylemj

Deleted User wrote: »

What if their passenger is disabled and they do have a sticker?

Then they are entitled to park in the disabled spot. My take on it is that if the driver is able-bodied and there are regular slots not too far away then they should try to use them and leave the disabled slots free.

Of course if the disabled passenger cannot be left on their own for any length of time then this would not be an option and the able-boded driver should park in the disabled spot but I think people should exercise a little bit of common sense and not automatically take up disabled spots when there is an option available to leave them free for disabled drivers who do need them.

coylemj

coylemj wrote: »

Then they are entitled to park in the disabled spot. My take on it is that if the driver is able-bodied and there are regular slots not too far away then they should try to use them and leave the disabled slots free.

Of course if the disabled passenger cannot be left on their own for any length of time then this would not be an option and the able-boded driver should park in the disabled spot but I think people should exercise a little bit of common sense and not automatically take up disabled spots when there is an option available to leave them free for disabled drivers who do need them.

Sounds ridiculous to me tbh. Driver with disabled passenger should pull into a disabled spot, help their passenger out, leave them waiting while driver goes to find another spot, go do their shopping or whatever, driver leaves disabled passenger to wait while driver goes to get the car drives back to the disabled spots, gets back out of car to help passenger in. Right.

The disabled badges aren't for "drivers" anyway. They are for the car which the disabled person is traveling in.

vectra

coylemj wrote: »

+1 I have no qualms about using a disabled spot to set down/pick up my 85 year old mother at the shops but I always park in a regular slot. If the driver is able-bodied there is no excuse in my book for using a disabled spot, with or without a sticker.

I can understand your feelings on this but to be honest, I may appear to be an able bodied driver but you would be completely wrong. Trust me.. "You can never judge a book by it's cover"

trishasaffron

Deleted User wrote: »

Sounds ridiculous to me tbh. Driver with disabled passenger should pull into a disabled spot, help their passenger out, leave them waiting while driver goes to find another spot, go do their shopping or whatever, driver leaves disabled passenger to wait while driver goes to get the car drives back to the disabled spots, gets back out of car to help passenger in. Right.

The disabled badges aren't for "drivers" anyway. They are for the car which the disabled person is traveling in.

It isn't always that simple e.g. my Mum has dementia and severly restricted mobility - its not realistic to leave her standing (when she cannot stand unaided & when she cannot understand where I have gone) while I go off and get the car.

As it is we can only go to places where I know exactly where the disabled spot is and that the distance to the entrance is v short etc etc. Its a drag but its what you have to do when you're trying to take care of someone who is very old (90+) or very disabled or both!

Captain Slow IRL

coylemj wrote: »

.........When you say 'park', do you mean that you leave the car there or are you talking about stopping in a disabled for a couple of minutes to set down or pick up your disabled passenger?..........

I haven't really had much experience outside the Beaumont set-down area with this, I am just trying to find out what I should do if in the situation again. In the Beaumont, it was just to stop, get the family member out and I parked in the multistorey afterwards.

Another family member has the disability sticker for their car, the registration is stamped on the badge so I didn't want to take it for that reason.

soccerc

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

Another family member has the disability sticker for their car, the registration is stamped on the badge so I didn't want to take it for that reason.

The permit is for the use of the holder no matter what vehicle they are using.

Permits are not specific to any one car and don't have registration details stamped on them

Antikythera

Deleted User wrote: »

Sounds ridiculous to me tbh. Driver with disabled passenger should pull into a disabled spot, help their passenger out, leave them waiting while driver goes to find another spot, go do their shopping or whatever, driver leaves disabled passenger to wait while driver goes to get the car drives back to the disabled spots, gets back out of car to help passenger in. Right.

Wrong.

D1stant

vectra wrote: »

There is a difference between "Stopping" and parking

And what might that be? Is there an EU threshold on the matter?

coylemj

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

Another family member has the disability sticker for their car, the registration is stamped on the badge so I didn't want to take it for that reason.

soccerc wrote: »

Permits are not specific to any one car and don't have registration details stamped on them

So which of you is right? Captain Slow belongs to a family which has a sticker and he claims that the reg. is on the badge.

D1stant

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

Can you park in a disabled space, if you have no sticker, but you do have a disabled passenger that has to get out?

That depends at least partly on whether the space is needed or not

Has anyone ever done a study of the % of disabled spaces:spaces versus disabled stickers:car population?

My hunch is that we have far more disabled spaces than are needed. But Im open to correction

soccerc

coylemj wrote: »

So which of you is right? Captain Slow belongs to a family which has a sticker and he claims that the reg. is on the badge.

As I said, Permit is not vehicle specific but issued to the disabled person for use in whatever vehicle they are travelling in.

On the reverse, it has holders photo and signature but no details of car reg anywhere

coylemj

vectra wrote: »

I can understand your feelings on this but to be honest, I may appear to be an able bodied driver but you would be completely wrong. Trust me.. "You can never judge a book by it's cover"

You don't 'appear' to be anything, this is a discussion forum, not a video conference.

If you are not able-bodied then park in the spot.

trishasaffron

trishasaffron wrote: »

It isn't always that simple e.g. my Mum has dementia and severly restricted mobility - its not realistic to leave her standing (when she cannot stand unaided & when she cannot understand where I have gone) while I go off and get the car.

As it is we can only go to places where I know exactly where the disabled spot is and that the distance to the entrance is v short etc etc. Its a drag but its what you have to do when you're trying to take care of someone who is very old (90+) or very disabled or both!

I totally agree with you. I was quoting and responding to coylemj who seems to think that if the driver is able bodied they should park the car elsewhere even if their passenger is disabled. Ridiculous idea.

Antikythera wrote: »

Wrong.

What's wrong?

coylemj

Deleted User wrote: »

I totally agree with you. I was quoting and responding to coylemj who seems to think that if the driver is able bodied they should park the car elsewhere even if their passenger is disabled. Ridiculous idea.

Well let me remind you of my circumstances. My 85 year old mother is 100% compus mentis, she has a walking aid and can walk a reasonable distance but that would not include traipsing across a big car park and avoiding cars that are coming and going.

My point is that when I am bringing her shopping she has no problem if I drop her at the door, she wanders in and is happy to wait for me to park the car in a regular slot. That way I (an able-bodied person) can park the car in a regular slot and leave the disabled slots for disabled drivers and people accompanying disabled passengers who cannot be left on their own for any length of time.

Ridiculous? I don't think so.

Considerate and caring, unlike a lot of pr1cks who abuse disabled stickers? Probably.

coylemj

soccerc wrote: »

As I said, Permit is not vehicle specific but issued to the disabled person for use in whatever vehicle they are travelling in.

On the reverse, it has holders photo and signature but no details of car reg anywhere

Looks like you are right.

Captain Slow take note, you can bring the badge in any car in which the disabled person is travelling.

From www.citizensinformation.ie ......

The parking card can be used by a disabled person in any vehicle in which he or she is travelling. This means that a disabled person who is being driven at different times by different people can bring the parking card with himself or herself and display it in the appropriate vehicle.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/traffic_and_parking/disabled_persons_parking_card.html

coylemj

coylemj wrote: »

Well let me remind you of my circumstances. My 85 year old mother is 100% compus mentis, she has a walking aid and can walk a reasonable distance but that would not include traipsing across a big car park and avoiding cars that are coming and going.

My point is that when I am bringing her shopping she has no problem if I drop her at the door, she wanders in and is happy to wait for me to park the car in a regular slot. That way I (an able-bodied person) can park the car in a regular slot and leave the disabled slots for disabled drivers and people accompanying disabled passengers who cannot be left on their own for any length of time.

Ridiculous? I don't think so.

Considerate and caring, unlike a lot of pr1cks who abuse disabled stickers? Probably.

You said earlier there was "no excuse". I have no doubt that there are many situations like yours. But to say there is "no excuse" for an able bodied driver to park in a disabled spot is ridiculous.

Captain Slow IRL

coylemj wrote: »

So which of you is right? Captain Slow belongs to a family which has a sticker and he claims that the reg. is on the badge.

I'll have to check that to be certain, I assumed it's on it.

Captain Slow IRL

soccerc wrote: »

The permit is for the use of the holder no matter what vehicle they are using.

Permits are not specific to any one car and don't have registration details stamped on them

coylemj wrote: »

Looks like you are right.

Captain Slow take note, you can bring the badge in any car in which the disabled person is travelling.

From www.citizensinformation.ie ......

The parking card can be used by a disabled person in any vehicle in which he or she is travelling. This means that a disabled person who is being driven at different times by different people can bring the parking card with himself or herself and display it in the appropriate vehicle.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/traffic_and_parking/disabled_persons_parking_card.html

Thanks for clearing that up.

vectra

D1stant wrote: »

And what might that be? Is there an EU threshold on the matter?

Let's put it this way.
You Stop at a Stop sign..You do not get out,lock your car, walk away and leave it there do you?

coylemj wrote: »

You don't 'appear' to be anything, this is a discussion forum, not a video conference.

If you are not able-bodied then park in the spot.

I did not say "I APPEAR"
I did say "I MAY appear"

Please describe what exactly you mean by Able-Bodied?
I am confused

Antikythera

Deleted User wrote: »

What's wrong?

The hypothetical you are ridiculing. (I'm on your side!)

Goreygal

D1stant wrote: »

That depends at least partly on whether the space is needed or not

Has anyone ever done a study of the % of disabled spaces:spaces versus disabled stickers:car population?

My hunch is that we have far more disabled spaces than are needed. But Im open to correction

No.. disabled bays are for disabled badge holders only who have been assessed as having a disability significant enough to affect their "activities of daily living" .. these are basic expected norms for ability to walk, concentrate, cognitive function etc discounting normal effects of aging and/or fatigue i.e. age in itself isn't considered a disability.

If your passenger has disability that you believe should qualify them they should get the assessment and the badge.