When you park your car or other road vehicle it is important to be aware that parking or leaving your vehicle in an unauthorised place whether on public or private property can not only cause frustration, but can also be a dangerous hazard to other road users and pedestrians. We all share this world, and therefore it is important that we not only drive responsibly but also ‘park’ our vehicles responsibly. If we were simply able to park ‘anywhere’, then major issues would result which would negatively affect us all in one way or another.
A wheel clamp is commonly known as a device that can be hooked up to any wheel of a vehicle that has been parked in a bad spot to immobilize it. The owner of the vehicle will not be able to get the clamp taken off of their wheel until they have come down to the local office to pay off all of their fines. Many find that wheel clamping can be a large annoyance and hassle that no one wants to deal with.
Wheel clamping came about as an effective means of parking enforcement, to replace the necessity to tow and impound vehicles which can be very costly. When a ticket is placed on a vehicle, some road users simply remove and discard the ticket and refuse to pay. Chasing payment subsequently can be an expensive legal process, and ultimately if someone does not want to pay it is difficult to make them pay in full within a specified period of time. Wheel clamping is an effective mechanism as it ensures payment must be settled before the clamp is removed and the vehicle released for use.
The country of Scotland has found that wheel clamping on land that is owned privately illegal. The ban came along after a case known as Black vs Carmichael in 1992 SCCR 709. The judge ruled that this practice is unfair and tantamount to extortion. On the other hand, countries like England and Whales require that the wheel clampers operating on privately owned land have the right paperwork and licensing by the Security Industry Authority or the SIA.
Wales and England set up laws in 2005 so that any company that was unlicensed would be in serious legal trouble if they were caught on private land wheel clamping. New signs and notifications for parking has also been put in place so it is easier for drivers to understand and make sure that they are following the rules. Ministers have been working for the last year to get on top of this sooner so that everyone is protected.
Even if the feelings about wheel clamping are mixed, people must understand that it is effective and helps to reduce those extra costs. Park in designated areas only and pay attention to signs and there will be no need to worry about any sort of wheel clamping.
If you need help to implement and manage Parking Enforcement measures then visit National Clamps.