Motorists could be affected by a simple supermarket car park age limit rule in place at all the major stores.
Drivers face supermarket car park age limit rules (Image: Getty)
Drivers could be caught out by an important “age limit” rule when stopping their vehicle at supermarket car parks. According to experts at EMG Motor Group, it can be “somewhat ambiguous” as to who can park in certain bays at major stores.
Parent and child spaces are often located closer to the entrance of stores such as Aldi, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons and are usually a bit bigger than ordinary bays. Spaces are around 2.4 metres wide, with the roomier space allowing parents and guardians a bit of extra room to manoeuvre. Most major stores have parent and child bays in their car parks, with often strict rules around who can and cannot use them.
Age limit rules apply at most major UK supermarkets (Image: Getty)
EMG Motor Group explained: “Whilst there is wide speculation as to who should and shouldn’t be able to park in a parent and child parking space, the rules are actually fairly simple; they are only for use by parents or guardians who are taking a child under 12 into the shop with them.
“The age is set at 12 as this is the age up to which child restraints, such as child car seats, must be used whilst travelling with children. If you’re going in alone and leaving a child with another adult in the car, you should use an ordinary parking space.”
EMG stressed the rules can “get a little muddy” when considering pregnant people with rules likely to be adopted on a store-by-store basis. However, motorists with no children at all should not use the bays purely because they are convenient and closer to the store.
It is believed that almost 1 in 10 motorists in the UK have admitted to parking their car in a parent and child parking space despite not meeting the criteria.
However, EMG Motor Group stressed that although there is no specific law against using a parent and child parking bay, individuals were risking being slapped with a Parking Charge Notice (PCN).
They added: “This is because the car parks are usually owned privately, for example, by supermarkets, and so they enforce rules allowed by their Accredited Trade Association (ATA) status.
“If you’re confused as to the rules in a particular car park, it’s worth checking with the store or destination that you’re parking at, so that you don’t risk a fine, which could be up to £100, being slapped on your windscreen.”
