You Should Normally Park on the Right-Hand Side of the Road

There has been a considerable increase in the number of vehicles parked illegally, because they are simply parked on the wrong side of the road.

As detailed in Article 90 of Spanish Traffic Law, vehicles must be parked on the right, in other words, in the flow of traffic. There are two main reasons for this, the first is because the vehicle has reflectors which therefor illuminate the correct position of the vehicle parked at night. The second is because of the impeded visibility when trying to emerge and cross traffic to start a journey.

As Article 90 explains about parking on urban roads, “it has to be done on the road or on the hard shoulder, the vehicle will be located as close as possible to its right side, except on one-way roads, where parking can also be done on the left side (article 38.2 of the articulated text).

Therefore, if you are on a normal road where traffic flows in both direction it is mandatory that you park on the right. You are not permitted to park on the left side, since you would be facing oncoming traffic.

Moreover, Article 91 explains that stopping and parking must be carried out in such a way that the vehicle does not obstruct traffic or constitute a risk to other road users, especially taking care of the vehicle’s positioning and preventing it from moving when the driver is absent. (Article 38.3 of the articulated text).

Special attention with parking large vehicles on corners or crossings as they hinder visibility to drivers who want to join or cross the road. It is usually the case to find vans or caravans parked in places that even though it is not forbidden to park there, due to their size they limit visibility creating risky situations to other drivers as they cannot see. In these cases, even though these vehicles are allowed to park they should look for another parking spot.