The difference between stopping and parking

What mainly determines whether you are stopping or parking is why the car is stationary. You may stop briefly to allow a passenger to get in or out of the car, or to load or unload goods, such as groceries or luggage. If you stop for any other reason, for example to wait for someone, it counts as parking even if you are only stationary for a short time.

However, if you have to stop because of traffic or to avoid danger, this does not count as stopping or parking under the parking rules. You may, of course, stop at a red light, for a pedestrian at a pedestrian crossing or when the traffic ahead has stopped.

Before parking

To find out whether you may stop or park in a particular place, you need to know the general parking rules and follow any rules shown on road signs and additional panels.

Example

A parking sign may show that parking is allowed at a particular location, but you must still follow the general parking rules. For example, if you park 5 metres from a junction, the parking is not allowed because you must not stop or park within 10 metres of a junction.

If you park where parking is not allowed, the car may create a danger or obstruction to traffic. You also risk receiving a parking ticket.

There are many rules regarding parking that you need to know

General parking rules

All parking rules are based on two simple main principles. You must not stop or park so that you:

• Endanger others
• Obstruct or inconvenience others

Where should you park the car?

You may normally only stop or park on the right-hand side in the direction of travel. On a one-way road, or if there are railway or tram tracks on the right-hand side, you may also stop or park on the left-hand side.

You must also park the vehicle as far from the centre of the road as possible and parallel to the road. If possible, you should park off the carriageway.

Parking lights

If you park or stop your car on a road at dawn, dusk or in darkness, you must switch on the parking lights so that the car can be clearly seen. The same applies if weather or other conditions make the car difficult to see. If the road has satisfactory illumination, the parking lights normally do not need to be on.

Emergency stop

In the event of an emergency stop, you must warn other road users. If the car comes to a stop on the carriageway or hard shoulder where it may create a danger or obstruction, switch on the hazard warning lights. On roads where the speed limit is 60 km/h or higher, you will normally also need to place a warning triangle behind the car. You should also place a warning triangle if the car is difficult for other drivers to see in time.

Use the hazard warning lights if the car has come to a stop where it may create a danger

Parking prohibitions

Where parking is prohibited, you must never park and only stop to load or unload goods or to allow a passenger to get in or out of the car. Stopping is also allowed if it is necessary to avoid danger or if traffic conditions so require.

If you stop for any other reason, your car is considered to be parked. It is, for example, not allowed to stop where parking is prohibited to answer your phone or run a quick errand.

Where parking is prohibited, you are allowed to stop to load or unload goods or to allow a passenger to get in or out of the car

Parking is prohibited both where indicated by road signs and in places where it is prohibited under the general rules.

It is prohibited to park:

• At a bus or tram stop, or within 20 metres before and 5 metres after the stop sign if there are no markings showing where the stop begins and ends.
• Within 30 metres of a railway or tramway crossing.
• On a priority road.
• In a residential area, a pedestrian zone, or on a cycle street.
  • Exception: it is allowed in marked parking spaces.
• At a designated passing place (blue sign with the letter M).
• In front of a garage exit.
• In front of an entrance to a property.
• Alongside another vehicle that has stopped or parked at the side of the road.
  • Exception: it is allowed alongside two-wheeled vehicles
• Alongside a larger object, such as a container, that has been placed at the side of the road.
• Alongside a broken yellow line.
• In such a way that obstructs others from gaining access to their vehicles.
• In such a way that obstructs other vehicles from driving away.
• So that any wheel is outside the parking space.

Stopping prohibitions

Where stopping is prohibited, you must not stop unless it is necessary to avoid danger or required by traffic conditions.

It is, for example, allowed to stop where parking or stopping is prohibited if there is a large obstacle on the roadway or if there is a traffic jam.

It is prohibited to stop on a pedestrian crossing or within 10 metres before it. This does not apply when you have to stop because of traffic conditions, for example to let pedestrians cross.

Stopping is prohibited both where road signs prohibit stopping and parking and in places where it is prohibited under the general rules.

It is prohibited to stop:

At junctions and crossings

• On or within ten metres before a pedestrian crossing, cycle crossing or cycle passage.
• On or within ten metres before a crossing cycle path or pedestrian path.
• In a junction or within ten metres of the nearest edge of the crossing carriageway.

Where visibility or traffic flow is restricted

• Alongside a solid line separating traffic lanes, if the distance between your vehicle and the line is less than three metres.
  • Exception: this does not apply if there is a broken line between your vehicle and the solid line.
• In or near a curve where visibility is obscured.
• In an underpass or a tunnel.
• On or near the crest of a hill.
• Where your vehicle obscures a road sign or a traffic signal.

On certain roads and in certain places

• In a public transport lane.
• In a cycle lane.
• On an obstruction marking.
• In a roundabout.
• At a railway or tramway crossing.
• Alongside a solid yellow line at the edge of the road or pavement.
• On a motorway or motor traffic road.

Special parking rules

Some places are reserved for particular types of vehicles or groups of road users. Special rules determine who may park or stop there and under what conditions.

Bus and tram stops

You must not park at a bus or tram stop. If there are no markings showing where the stop begins and ends, parking is prohibited within 20 metres before and 5 metres after the stop sign.

You may normally stop to allow a passenger to get into or out of the car, provided that you do not obstruct buses or trams using the stop. You must not, however, stop there to load or unload goods.

If stopping is also prohibited at the location, you may not stop to pick up or drop off passengers either. This prohibition may, for example, be indicated by a solid yellow line along the edge of the kerb, sometimes reinforced by a yellow zigzag line on the road.

If there are no markings showing where a bus or tram stop begins and ends, parking is prohibited within 20 metres before and 5 metres after the stop sign

Reserved parking spaces

In a parking space reserved for a particular type of vehicle, such as a bus, or a particular group of road users, such as people with disabilities, other vehicles may only stop to allow passengers to get in or out.

Charging spaces

Only vehicles that can be charged using an external power source may park in a charging space. Other vehicles may only stop there to allow passengers to get in or out. At some charging spaces, parking is only allowed while charging is in progress. If so, this will be stated in the conditions displayed at the location.

Parking signs

In addition to the general rules, signs may indicate specific parking rules for a particular location. Below are some of the most common parking signs and their meanings.

	Parking The sign means that parking is allowed. On ordinary weekdays, you may park for a maximum of 24 consecutive hours. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, you may park without a time limit unless otherwise indicated. The same applies if a weekday falls on the day before a public holiday. Example: If you park on a Friday at 18:00, the car may remain parked over the weekend. The 24-hour rule starts to apply again on the next ordinary weekday. Additional panels may show other conditions, such as a shorter parking time or a fee.
	Parking prohibited The sign means that parking is prohibited. You may still stop, for example to drop off a passenger. The prohibition applies on the side of the road where the sign is placed and normally from the sign up to the next junction, unless otherwise indicated.
	Parking and stopping prohibited The sign means that both stopping and parking are prohibited. The prohibition applies on the side of the road where the sign is placed and normally from the sign up to the next junction, unless otherwise indicated.
	Zone with parking prohibition The sign means that parking is prohibited throughout an entire area. You may still park in places where parking is specifically permitted. The sign may also indicate other prohibitions or rules, such as a prohibition on stopping or alternate side parking. The instruction applies until you pass an end sign or it is otherwise clear that it no longer applies.
	Zone with parking prohibition ends The sign means that a zone with a parking prohibition ends. If the zone sign indicated another prohibition or rule, the end sign also means that this instruction ends.

Additional panels

Additional panels are placed below the sign they apply to and provide further information. They are especially common with parking signs and can, for example, indicate the times or vehicles the rules apply to, how far the rules extend or the direction in which they apply.

Time indications on additional panels

An additional panel with time indications always supplements another road sign and indicates which days and between which times the indication on the road sign applies. They can, for example, tell you when a road sign with a speed limit or a parking prohibition applies.

• Black or white numbers without brackets indicate the times that apply Monday to Friday, except on a weekday before a public holiday.
• Black or white numbers in brackets indicate the times that apply on Saturdays and other weekdays before a public holiday.
• Red numbers indicate the times that apply on Sundays and public holidays.

If the time indication extends over midnight, the time period after midnight applies the following day.

If a certain date or weekday is indicated, the regulation applies on that day regardless of whether the day is a weekday, weekend day or public holiday.

Special rules for stopping and parking

Below some parking signs, a supplementary sign may indicate an exception to the main sign. For example, a no-parking sign may be supplemented to show that parking is allowed during certain times, while a parking sign may be supplemented to show that parking is prohibited during certain times.

Alternate side parking

Alternate side parking applies on certain streets and within certain areas. This means that the date determines which side of the street you may park on. The basic rule is that you must not park on the side with even-numbered addresses on even dates, or on the side with odd-numbered addresses on odd dates.

On even dates, you may therefore park on the side with odd-numbered addresses. On odd dates, you may park on the side with even-numbered addresses.

Alternate side parking is used, among other things, to make snow clearing, sanding and street cleaning easier. The rules often apply only during certain hours, for example at night.

In addition to the alternate side parking sign, there are also signs that prohibit parking on one side of the road on either odd or even dates.

	Alternate side parking Indicates that parking restrictions are regulated by the date. On even-numbered dates it is prohibited to park on the side of the road with even street numbers. On odd-numbered dates it is prohibited to park on the side of the road with odd street numbers.
	Parking is prohibited on odd-numbered dates Remembering what the road sign means will be easier if you keep in mind that one (I) is an odd number.
	Parking is prohibited on even-numbered dates Remembering what the road sign means will be easier if you keep in mind that two (II) is an even number.

An additional panel may limit the parking prohibition to certain times, for example from 0:00 until 06:00. When this is the case, it is allowed to park on both sides of the road during the rest of the day.

If alternate side parking applies around the clock, you must check before the date changes that your car is parked on the correct side for the new date. If the restriction only applies at certain times, such as at night, you need to consider which date will apply during that period when you park. Also remember that at some month changes, an odd-numbered date can be followed by another odd-numbered date, such as 31 March followed by 1 April.

If you pass this sign on an odd-numbered date like June 3 (3 is an odd number) you have to park on the side of the road with even street numbers

Parking on hills

When parking on a hill, you must make sure that the car cannot start moving on its own. Apply the parking brake and engage an appropriate gear, or select P if the car has an automatic transmission.

On a steep hill, you can also turn the front wheels so that the car would move towards the edge of the road or the kerb if it started to roll. When parking downhill, or uphill without a kerb, turn the wheels towards the edge of the road. When parking uphill with a kerb, turn the wheels away from the kerb.

When parking uphill with a kerb, turn the front wheels away from the kerb

Things to consider when parking

When you park and leave the car, there are several things you need to consider to make sure that the car is left safely and does not obstruct or endanger others.

When you park

• You may only park in a space marked for people with disabilities if you have a special parking permit. Without a permit, you may only stop there to let a passenger get in or out of the car.
• You must not park in a way that prevents someone from getting into their vehicle or another vehicle from driving away.
• If a parking disc is required, set it to the next full or half hour after your arrival time. For example, set the disc to 13:30 if you arrive at 13:10, and to 14:00 if you arrive at 13:40. If you park before the time restriction begins, set the disc to the time when the restriction begins. Place the parking disc where it can be clearly seen through the windscreen.

When you leave the car

• Make sure that the car cannot start moving by itself.
• Do not open a car door in a way that could endanger others.
• Take appropriate measures to prevent anyone who is not authorised from using the car. Take the key with you and lock the car when you leave it unattended.
• Never leave a child alone in the car. Do not leave pets in a parked car either if there is a risk that the temperature could become dangerously high.

When you drive away

• You may only reverse out of a parking space if it can be done without danger or obstruction to other road users. Reverse slowly, check the traffic carefully and stop if necessary to let others pass.

Parking where it is not permitted, failing to pay the parking fee or forgetting to display a parking disc can result in a parking ticket

Mopeds

Mopeds class 2 may be parked in the same way and in the same places as bicycles.

Mopeds class 1 must be parked according to the same rules as a car. However, two-wheeled class 1 mopeds may also be parked in parking spaces reserved for motorcycles.