JULY 2019 | 43
Motoring
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
12
BRITISH
CAN I PARK MY DRIVING
VAN AT HOME? OFFENCES THAT
‘
CARRY PENALTY
’
POINTS – AND
HOW MANY
Van drivers who park their
vehicles at home overnight are
being urged to check whether
they’re staying within the law…
Tim Alcock from LeaseVan.
co.uk said: “If you’re working
for yourself or set off early in
the morning, then parking your
van at home makes sense. But
it is important to check all the
rules and regulations around
doing that. It’s not as simple
as just letting your neighbours
know. You need to check deeds,
clarify the position of your local
council and make sure you’re
aware of any parking restric-
tions.”
‘
If your van weighs
over 7.5 tonnes
it must not be
parked on a verge
or pavement unless
you have police
permission
’
Here are LeaseVan.co.uk’s tips
for parking your van at home.
Company rules
Before you take a work van
home, make sure your employer
allows vans to be parked off-site
overnight.
Check your deeds
Generally, it’s fine to park a
work van on your drive or in the
garage. But, check the deeds of
your house in case there are any
planning restrictions or enforced
covenants which say you can’t
park trade vehicles at the prop-
erty.
make sure you’re
aware of any
parking restrictions
use a resident’s permit, confirm
with the local council that vans
are not excluded. If there are no
restrictions, make sure you’re
parked further than 10m from a
junction.
Weight of the vehicle
Let your insurers know you’ll
be parking at your home address
to check it’s covered. If not you
could invalidate your cover. If your van weighs over 7.5
tonnes it must not be parked on
a verge or pavement unless you
have police permission. If it weighs
more than 2,500kg and is left on
the street, between sunset and
sunrise, the lights must be left on.
If your van weighs less, you can
leave the lights off if the road has
a speed limit of 30mph or less.
Parking restrictions Neighbours
Check there are no parking
restrictions on your street. If
you live in a controlled parking
area, check the times. If you Be mindful of your neighbours.
They may not appreciate a huge
van parked in front of your house
or on the drive.
Insurance
Driving offences which are generally
penalised with penalty points as well
as a fine in the UK have been revealed.
From three penalty points
for traffic light offences to ten
for failing to report an accident,
each breach of the law that
could hurt drivers’ licences as
well as their pockets has been
highlighted.
Other infringements that could
see Brits hit with points include
failure to have a full view of the
road and traffic ahead and incon-
siderate driving.
British drivers who accumulate
12 or more penalty points through
motoring offences within a three-
year period can be banned from
driving for up to six months (or
more if they’ve if it’s not their first
ban), if disqualification is not ap-
plied anyway at a court’s discre-
tion for a more serious incident.
Accumulating six or more
penalty points within two years
of passing your driving test also
leads to a licence withdrawal and
re-test requirement.
Tim Alcock from LeaseVan.
co.uk said: “Safety should be
every vehicle owner’s priority
when driving and we’re always
right behind the police’s efforts
to remove dangerous drivers
from the roads. Motorists should
be acutely aware that breaking
the law while behind the wheel
doesn’t just mean paying a fine
and forgetting about it.
“It will land them with penal-
ty points on their licence, which
could ultimately lead to a ban
from driving and potentially
affect your job. We’ve highlighted
the 12 UK driving offences where
disqualification isn’t immediately
obligatory and how many penalty
points they can carry, to urge any
drivers who might consider bend-
ing the rules to think again.”
1. Failing to stop after an ac-
cident or failing to report an
accident – 5 to 10 points
2. Careless and inconsiderate
driving – 3 to 9 points
3. Driving without insurance –
6 to 8 points
4. Using a hand held mobile
phone when driving –
6 points
5. Failing to identify the driver
of a vehicle – 6 points
6. Driving when disqualified –
6 points
7. Speeding – 3 to 6 points or 3
points fixed penalty
8. Driving after refusal or revo-
cation of licence on medical
grounds – 3 to 6 points
9. Driving otherwise than in
accordance with a licence –
3 to 6 points
10. Failure to have proper control
of the vehicle or full view of
the road and traffic ahead –
3 points
11. Using a vehicle in a danger-
ous condition –
3 points in each case
12. Traffic light offences –
3 points