Parking NSW: Driver cops $305 fine over surprise rule

A driver has shared her confusion after copping a hefty fine for a seemingly perfect park — so what was wrong with it?

A Sydney driver has copped a hefty fine for breaking a parking rule she didn’t know existed.

The woman said she “can’t see anything wrong” with how she parked on a residential street in the city’s inner west and questioned why she had been fined.

She posted photos of the parking mishap on a local Facebook group last week, asking others to “help [her] understand the fine”.

The pictures showed her blue station wagon parked kerbside outside a single-storey home, with no apparent parking signs nearby.

The woman shared this picture of her park. Picture: Facebook.

“What am I missing?” she asked. Picture: Facebook.

“I got fined $305 and lost some demerits points. They said I parked parallel close to the dividing line/strip,” she explained.

“I don’t see anything wrong with the pics. What am I missing?”

Under NSW parking rules, drivers must not park within three metres of any double dividing lines. Those caught doing so can be fined.

In the photos, the double white lines appeared to be close to the woman’s car on a seemingly narrow road, leading some commenters to believe this was the reason for her ticket.

“It’s possibly because there is not enough room for cars to pass your car without partly crossing their car across the double middle lines — it’s illegal for them to do that,” one person explained.

“So you can’t park in a place where there isn’t enough space between the double middle lines and your car for other cars to pass.”

In NSW, drivers cannot park within 3m of double dividing lines.

The parking rule surprised many local drivers, who said they “had no idea” it existed.

“I had no idea this was a road rule until now! I’m sorry you copped such a huge fine,” one person wrote.

“Sorry you got those fines. Wow. You learn something new every day,” added another.

“An easy mistake to make and $80 or even just a warning would have been effective in stopping the behaviour,” wrote a third.

Other places that might not be signed but where NSW drivers aren’t allowed to park include within one metre of a fire hydrant, within three metres of an Australia Post box or on any hill or curve in a built-up area, unless drivers can see their vehicle from at least 100 metres away.

NSW drivers also mustn’t park on median strips or in slip lanes, or within 20 metres of a lit intersection, unless a parking sign indicates otherwise.

Originally published as Parking NSW: Driver cops $305 fine over surprise rule