One in five motorists hit by parking fines in a year

BRITISH motorists have been hit with parking fines of almost £850million in the past year, with one in five penalised, new research reveals. Drivers were issued with penalties of £85 on average.

Only 15 per cent of the tickets were issued for on-street parking. Town centre and workplace car parks were more common places for drivers to be fined, accounting for 23 and 22 per cent of all charges respectively, according to vehicle insurance provider Prima.

Train station and supermarket car parks accounted for 19 per cent of fines each, while airport car parks made up 14 per cent.

Not understanding signs and parking outside permitted hours were the main reasons drivers were fined. But a risk-taking 14 per cent of drivers knew that they shouldn’t have parked where or when they did, but did so anyway.

Prima says drivers could be hit with fines several times over in the same place if they didn’t realise the restrictions on regular routes. One in ten of those fined were on the school run, and another 13 per cent were hit with a penalty when visiting family or friends.

One in four male drivers were fined, more than double the number of female drivers caught out. Some are penalised beyond the average £85 fine, with 5 per cent having had their vehicle towed or clamped in the past year.

The most likely time to be ticketed was on a weekday afternoon, the survey found. Nick Ielpo at Prima, says: ‘Ensure you’ve parked your car in a secure, legal space. This helps you avoid not only fines, but also having your car vandalised or scratched while it’s unattended.’

Six per cent of drivers had a vehicle vandalised in the past year.