Parking Distance Rules in British Columbia
Parking too close to a driveway, crosswalk, fire hydrant, or other roadside feature can result in a parking ticket and, in some situations, your vehicle may also be towed. It can also create unnecessary hazards for other road users. One DriveSmartBC reader asked for a reminder of the minimum parking distances required in British Columbia after repeatedly finding vehicles blocking access to the end of his driveway. Knowing these distances before you park can help you avoid enforcement action and inconvenience.
You're driving along a city street when the vehicle ahead slows, signals to the right and stops beside an empty curbside parking space. The driver begins positioning the vehicle to back into the parking space. Do you wait, or is it acceptable to drive around?
If you are parallel parked on a busy British Columbia street and get boxed in by vehicles parking too close to your bumpers, pulling out safely can feel like an impossible task. However, a tight parking space does not excuse a driver from their statutory duties.
I received an email from a disgruntled reader complaining about a motorist who blocked a large portion of a sidewalk when reverse parking their truck which was equipped with a trailer hitch. It's certainly not very neighbourly, and this person wondered if there was anything on the books making the practice illegal.
Imagine the surprise of the motorist at a collision I once investigated. He parked at the side of the road, opened his door, and a passing car tried to tear it off! It's a good thing he didn't step out while he opened the door.
Question: I am a driving student, and I am interested to know what the law is with respect to parking near a bus stop. Sometimes there is a bus stop sign as well as a "no stopping before this point" sign about 5 meters after. Other times there is only the bus stop sign. In the latter case, how much space must legally be left between the rear of your car and the bus stop sign?
Question: I reside in Vancouver and there is a resident (female) in my building, who has a disabled parking pass hanging from her vehicle mirror....The problem that I have with this, is that the permit was for her former husband, who was disabled, and passed away about 2 years ago.
When we lived in Penticton we would often go to the beach after dinner, parking on 
There's nothing like a bit of extreme weather to create problems for snow removal equipment. All that snow has to be pushed somewhere in order clear the streets for drivers. Vehicles parked on those streets can present a problem.