Is it less dense, ie fewer cars parked in a given space? Clearly, there are empty triangles behind each space and at the ends in a rectangular building, but the 'driveway' can perhaps be narrower as cars aren't turning 90 degrees into the spaces. It's not obvious.
GB wrote in news:muqt0v$lsl$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:
In the USA there are always curbs pinned into the surface to back up to. Seems a bit OTT - I wonder why they bother. Perhaps it is to prevent the car-park being used as a race track when empty.
In tight spaces I often park at an angle rather than square to the space. That way I have more room to open the drivers door and so does the car next to me.
Both ends where the row of cars is along a straight edge. Depending on the angle I'd say you lose the area of one parking space for about every 6 you have.
Width is pretty much dictated by the space required to open doors so people can reasonably easily get in an out. More width required for reversing in is dependant on how wide the roadway is running past the spaces. If that is enough to allow cars to pass each other in opposite directions there shouldn't be any need for extra reversing width.
Tebay services M6 North bound as some double echelon parking with two rows that interlock down the middle so not wasting quite so much space. They are setup as just drive into though, rather than past and reverse. TBH I think past and reverse echelon parking would cause many drivers brains to go into melt down. And would the automatic reverse parking systems that cars have these days be able to cope?
In a supermarket most people are buying stuff and will require access to the boot to put that stuff in the car. So back end out is very sensible so they don't have to squeeze down between cars and hope that there is enough room to get access to the boot as well.
Space width seems to be dependant on where the car park is. All the supermarket/public car parks in Carlisle, Penrith, Hexham, outskirts of Newcastle are OK with a Discovery but go into a city center and there is a tendancy for them to be a bit "tight". It's not much maybe only 6" less but it's noticeable.
What annoys me in some supermarket car parks is the disproportionate number of disabled and parent/child spaces. These are very often empty when the rest of the car park is full.
MANOEUVRING SPACE Typically, right angled spaces require 6.0m minimum aisle width for reasonable manoeuvring, while parallel parking requires 3.0m minimum. Echelon parking lies between the two, according to the angle: 4.2m minimum for 60 degrees and 3.6m minimum for 45 degrees and 30 degrees (Section 11.1.9 of Manual for Streets 2 19 (Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation etc. 2010)). Photograph 7. Recessed garage with obstructive parking Care needs to be taken with parallel parking areas to avoid their use as echelon parking, unless the available width for movement will not be compromised by such flexibility of use. Widening of spaces and/or accesses may reduce the depth associated with right angled parking. However, where there is a mixture of right angled and parallel parking, it is important to avoid compromising the use of one with the other. Good design will minimise the risk of ad hoc parking that might compromise designed spaces.
Most roads aren't wide enough. The parking lights aren't in the correct place either so they are restricted to off road or areas with a 30 mph limit or less and street lights.
The ons they put in West Broms High street last month are drive in forwards, reverse out into the traffic, but it is a 20 mph limit so there shouldn't be a problem.
I was thinking more about white lines on tarmac but take your point about walls, same for kerbs.
I think backing out might be safer as you should get a better view earlier along the *driveway*. Unless some nutter has decided they don't need to obey direction arrows:-(
Are you suggesting that no able bodied driver (with no disabled/child passengers) who has parked in such a bay has ever been subject to the charges threatened on supermarket signage?
Reflectors are considered to be lights for the purposes of the regulations and, as you say, lights are not required when parked in a designated parking bay in an area where the speed limit is 30mph or less.
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