Stationary Vehicles

[lawbet]

How long can a car remain stationary on the roadway without being moved?

[Joe_the_Lion]

If it is legally parked and taxed, then indefinately!!!

Do you wish to elaborate the question further?

[tubeway]

The longest would be 3 years - as long as it is legally parked and kept taxed and insured. If it was parked on the day it was registered, it could remain stationary until the day the MOT was due, then would have to be moved for its MOT

[chompu]

Two interesting answers there but both wrong. I like the reasoning in the second one, very clever. There are several stared cases that say that if a vehicle is parked on the road it is preventing any other vehicle from using that piece of road and is therefore causing an obstruction. Rarely used these days since the advent of yellow lines but if a police officer asks you to move for whatever reason, I'd move forthwith because the court will back him if he reports you for obstruction.

[Joe_the_Lion]

Well if we are being pendantic, there is no reason for a car to move to pass its MOT. Getting a mobile authorising station may be harder, but I am sure possible.

Chompu, surely all traffic obstructions are preceded with "unnecessary". It the owner or insurer stated it was necessary to park there, or lets sau for example, he can not drive, I fail to see an offence.

Therefore I will maintain it can be parked there indefinately.

Interesting!!!!

[Oneeyedvic]

The car will need to go onto a rolling road at some point for it's MOT so it will have to be moved for that.

[chompu]

Yes I agree joe it does say unnecessary but that is not for the owner or insurer to decide but for the police officer to allege and the courts to decide. They have decided many times , try Solomon v Durbridge, Fearnley v Ormsby and Nagy v Weston,( and many more) all cases where the justices, on appeal, decided that if a vehicle was parked on a road it was preventing any other vehicle or person from using that piece of road which in consequence was an unncessary or wilful obstuction.In theory then any vehicle parked on a road is causing an obstruction. In practice if a police office was being vindictive and booking everyone doing this it wouldn't get passed his Inspector let alone the crown prosecution service.