What to do if your car is locked

A situation often arises when, due to a lack of free space or due to the bad manners of other motorists, the car ends up locked in the yard or parking lot. Many people do not know what to do in this situation and how to free their vehicle. The proposed material discusses what should be done if the car is propped up, and ways to get out of such a situation.

Is it possible to move a car that has blocked you by yourself?

Most car enthusiasts have a desire to remove the obstacle themselves. But not everyone knows whether it is possible to call a tow truck if the car is blocked, or to remove someone else’s car in another way.

The main thing to remember is that you don’t need to be nervous and do rash things. According to the comments of competent representatives of the traffic police, you should not try to move the interfering vehicle on your own without notifying the owner. Calling a tow truck for this purpose does not apply to lawful actions if we are talking about someone else’s car.

And if in the process of moving someone else’s vehicle is scratched or other damage is caused, the owner has the right to apply to the courts for compensation for damage, having previously recorded the defects and carried out a confirmatory examination. If there is evidence of guilt, you will have to compensate for the damage, which will be quite expensive.

What should you definitely not do?

No matter how angry you are that your car was “locked” in the yard, parking lot or gas station, under no circumstances try to break the law and act by force. This will be followed by retribution in the form of lawsuits and fines - at best.

So, what you should avoid:

• Leave at your own peril and risk - despite the obstacle in the form of another vehicle. When maneuvering, you may hit someone else's car, which is considered a collision with a stationary vehicle. That is, you are found guilty of an accident. However, there is no fine for this, and the damage to the victim will be compensated by the insurance company under MTPL. But you will have to repair your car yourself (in the absence of CASCO).
• Deflating tires, draining gasoline, scratching the body of someone else's car - all this is regarded as damage to someone else's property. If you really want to, it’s better to leave a note telling the offender where he is wrong. Perhaps this will sober him up, and he will no longer block the exit for other cars.

Do not give in to emotions, even if you think you are 100% right. Otherwise, you can run into big trouble, while the other driver will only get away with a fine.

What to do in this situation

In this case, you should remain calm. If the owner is known, it is worth contacting him. And if this is not possible, you need to contact the competent authorities (traffic police). They are the ones who are called upon to solve such issues if they cannot find a way out of the problem on their own.

Appropriate administrative measures will be taken against the car owner who interferes with traffic, in accordance with Part 4 of Art. 12.19 Code of Administrative Offences. In such a situation, the culprit is subject to a fine of two thousand rubles (in federal cities the amount of the fine is increased to three thousand), and the car will be transported to a impound lot.

Parking rules in relation to other road users

A parking lot is considered a safe place where you can leave your car for a long time. Road signs, good coverage, and markings are its signs. On a roadway with heavy traffic flow, in a special parking lot or in the courtyard of a house, you need to leave your car in such a way as not to disturb anyone. Responsibility for parking violations is prescribed in the fourth part of Article 12.19 of the “Code of Administrative Offenses” of the Russian Federation.

Parking rules

Parking that blocks other participants on city streets is prohibited in the following places:

• closer than 5 meters from pedestrian crossings;
• near dangerous closed turns with visibility less than 100 meters;
• at railway crossings, bridges, narrow roads, inside tunnels;
• on tram tracks;
• on those roads where a continuous dividing strip is located closer than 3 meters from the side of the road;
• closer than 5 meters from intersections with a continuous dividing strip;
• closer than 15 meters from public transport stops;
• in places where obstacles are created for the entry or exit of cars or pedestrian traffic;
• in areas where the car will be blocked by traffic lights.

In such cases, the police can evacuate the vehicle to a penalty area in accordance with Article 27.13 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

Exit from parking space blocked

The situation when the exit from a parking lot is blocked is not so rare. Car owners do not always comply with established parking rules when parking their cars, creating problems for other drivers. In such situations, there are several solutions:

• try to find a phone number or other contact information on the car - sometimes drivers leave information under the glass or press it with a wiper. If such a note is found, all that remains is to call the owner and agree on a solution to the problem;
• influence the car alarm system provided for feedback - some cars have such means installed that transmit a signal to the driver’s key fob. These places are indicated accordingly - an image of a paw or a hand;
• start the sound siren of a regular alarm by patting the car;
• honk for a short time. There is a possibility that the owner will still hear his car and react somehow. But you shouldn’t keep your hand on the horn for a long time, because by doing so you are breaking the rules for using sound signals and disturbing other people. Especially when the problem arose in the courtyard of a multi-story building;
• Calling the traffic police is an extreme measure that should be resorted to if the issue cannot be resolved in another way.

Force majeure circumstances

It happens that a traffic jam in a yard or parking lot needs to be overcome urgently - for example, when you need to take a wounded person to the hospital or there is another threat to a person’s life.

In such situations, the law allows both driving closely, scratching the interfering car, and ramming or pulling it away.

True, it is important to take into account that in the future you will have to prove the need for such actions in court - which means that everything that happens should be recorded on a video recorder and the contacts of witnesses who can confirm the correct behavior of the driver who was blocked.

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The exit from the garage is blocked

Problems often arise with leaving the garage if another car enthusiast parked his car unsuccessfully. In this situation, you should do any of the methods given above. Do not forget that obstructing the movement of other vehicles and crossing is a violation of clause 12.4 of the traffic rules, therefore administrative measures will be applied to those responsible.

It is better to come to an agreement with the car owner who committed such a violation on your own, without resorting to the help of traffic police officers. But such a way out is not always possible, so we have to resort to extreme measures.

Risk group – new cars

It is dangerous to leave a car without license plates in the yard. Since new cars, which have not yet been registered by the traffic police, are stolen much more often than vehicles with state registration. And the percentage of returns is disappointing: only 20% of all stolen cars are returned to the owner.

According to the law, after purchasing a car, the owner has 10 days to register. During this period, he can travel on transit numbers.

Car with transit plates

If a car without license plates is parked in the yard in violation of the rules, then any traffic police officer can draw up a protocol to send the vehicle to the impound area. It is worth noting that with new cars, inspectors proceed as follows: first, the employee must find the owner. If it's a residential complex and the owner lives nearby, it won't be difficult to find.

The car blocked the exit

If this situation occurs constantly, it is worth warning the culprit by leaving him a note and attaching it to the car. Often several cars are locked at once. In such cases, it will be easier to find a possible solution through collective efforts.

If the owner is known to any of the blocked drivers, the best solution is to try to contact the car owner whose vehicle is causing the obstruction. But sometimes you can’t do without calling the traffic police and forcibly evacuating the vehicle.

As follows from the presented material, you should not panic if your car is blocked by an unscrupulous driver. You shouldn’t run into trouble by trying to remove the obstacle yourself or by trying to drive at the risk of hitting someone else’s car. If there is no way to contact the owner, the best way to solve the problem is to call the traffic police, so that the car will be removed and appropriate measures will be taken against the culprit of the problem. Remember that wasting time is not always worth resorting to drastic ways out of the situation.

Main aspects

There may be a shortage of parking spaces due to the large number of cars in cities or the number of cars residents have at home compared to the parking capacity.

In addition, some residents may illegally claim a specific parking space for themselves, and the driver who uses it may be punished by blocking his way.

On the streets, cars are locked more often due to haste and inattention, but in courtyards this is most likely a sign of arrogance and a person’s ignorance of the laws that do not allow restricting the freedom of movement of other people.

The driver himself can help in solving situations, if he is on site or nearby, or police officers, who, in addition to freeing up space, can also draw up a report on the violator, since such behavior is clearly punishable under administrative law and provides for the imposition of a fine.

Basic Concepts

In order to deal with parking violations and be able to act correctly in situations where the car is locked by another driver, you should determine what the main provisions of the sphere mean.

They can be used in the protocols of traffic police inspectors and regulations, therefore they are extremely important.

Parking concept

A parking lot is considered an area in which you can leave your car for a long time without worrying about its condition.

For parking lots, you should create a good road surface, use road signs and monitor the condition of the markings.

Only in this case will the behavior of drivers be strictly regulated and free of errors.

Parking lots can be single-level or multi-level, but if we talk about location, parking lots can be located underground and above it.

All parking lots, especially multi-level ones and located in a separate building, must comply with fire and environmental safety standards, as well as have a solid construction and, of course, be equipped with all the necessary information signs that will help motorists figure out where to park and what to do in case of an emergency.

Current legal framework

Violations related to parking are set out in the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

Specifically, what a driver is entitled to for blocking another car is written in Article 12.19 and its part 4.

At the same time, police officers must evacuate the offender’s car if he is not there and this person does not intend to appear.

But the law also stipulates that the driver himself cannot move or tow the interfering vehicle; this will be regarded as hooliganism or theft, as well as causing damage if at least one scratch is caused during the work.

By the way, as for evacuation, all situations in which this measure of influence can be applied are described in Article 27.13, and only in these cases can the car be detained and taken to the police impound area.

Is it possible to clear the way by calling a commercial tow truck?

Only representatives of law enforcement agencies can legally tow a car that is blocking the exit from a parking lot without the consent of its owner. Private companies providing towing services do not have such powers. This is regarded as an attack on private property and is prosecuted at the legislative level.

But can you call a tow truck to move your car? - Undoubtedly. This option remains the only solution to the problem when you have neither the time nor the desire to involve traffic police officers in the proceedings and wait for the return of the offending driver. Before calling a tow truck, do not forget to take a photo of the violation. In the future, these images can be used to obtain compensation from the offender for the costs of special equipment services.

Call a tow truck

If you urgently need to free a car locked in a parking lot, we recommend calling a tow truck with a crane by contacting our service. This is beneficial for the following reasons:

• Applications are accepted around the clock. Special equipment will arrive at the specified address shortly after your call.
• You will save your own time and prevent lengthy proceedings with the offending driver and the traffic police.
• You will be able to avoid penalties if your car is also parked illegally.
• In the process of pulling the car out of the blocked parking lot, no damage will occur; the car will remain safe and sound.

To contact our evacuation service staff, call hotline number 2. We will provide free advice, provide prices and indicate the arrival time of special equipment. Departures are carried out throughout Yekaterinburg and nearby settlements. The minimum rental time for a tow truck is 2 hours.⁠

note

A situation may well occur where you have already called the traffic police and summoned a squad, but a few minutes later the offending driver returned, and the problem was resolved without the participation of law enforcement officers. There is a possibility that after the squad arrives, you will be accused of making a false call. To prevent this, the fact of the violation should be captured in advance by photo or video. Immediately after solving the problem, you can also call the traffic police again and cancel the call of the employees, reporting that the situation has been successfully resolved.