Indiana parking laws: understanding the basics
When driving on the roads of Indiana, abiding by the laws and regulations of the road is par for the course. However, drivers also need to make sure they abide by the laws when they are finding places to park their vehicle. If you park in a no parking zone, you will face fines, and you may even have your vehicle towed and brought to an impound yard. No one wants to deal with the hassle and the high cost of fines, so knowing where you are able to park should be a part of every Indiana driver’s knowledge.
Illegal places to park
There are a number of common areas where it is illegal to park in Indiana. You are not allowed to park on the highway in most cases. However, if a police officer pulls you over, you can naturally pull over when they tell you. Drivers are not allowed to park in an intersection or in a pedestrian crosswalk. You will not be able to park your vehicle on a sidewalk either, as this will interfere with pedestrian traffic.
In addition, you cannot park in a location that will block a public or a private driveway. Doing so would impede traffic that needs to get into or out of the driveway. In addition to being an inconvenience, this also has the potential to be a hazard, as it could block emergency vehicles.
It is against the law to park within 15 feet of fire lanes, which are typically marked in red on the curb. These fire lanes will often have signage as well to alert drivers that they are not allowed to park there. Drivers cannot park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant either. Again, this could be a hazard, as the fire engines will always need to have access to the hydrant in the event of an emergency. Keep in mind that drivers are not allowed to park adjacent to yellow curbs. Most of the time, there will be signs located alongside the colored curbs, but this is not always the case.
Double parking is disallowed as well. This is when you park a car on the street side of another vehicle that has already parked. Doing so would make it difficult for other traffic to flow down the street properly. You are not allowed to park on highways, in tunnels, or on bridges either.
Always remember that the actual fines can vary based on the town and the city where you receive your ticket. They have their own fine schedules, and they may have their own parking laws. Pay attention to any signs, as well as curb markings that will indicate whether you are able to park there or not. You need to make sure you are paying attention not only to the Indiana state laws mentioned here, but also to any of the local laws in the jurisdiction where you are parking.
