Glove box parking aid

If you've been clamped...

• Ask for ID. If the clamper's telling you they have 'legal authority' to clamp your vehicle ask to see their ID. You can also call the authority they're working for to check it’s valid.

  In Northern Ireland clampers must have a 16-digit Security Industry Authority licence number. Check if their number's legit on the SIA website.

  In either case, if you're still not sure, or can't get hold of anyone, call the police.

• Check time. Councils usually wait 30 minutes after a ticket before clamping.

• If unfair, get evidence. See the evidence-gathering help above.

• Act fast. Ignore a clamp and your motor can be towed in hours, meaning hugely increased fees.

• Pay under protest. If forced to pay to release your vehicle, and you think it's unfair, write on the ticket that you've 'paid under protest'. It means you don't accept liability, so you can fight back.

Can I park there?

Parking tickets can take months to reverse, so to avoid them, park right! The basic rule's always check the road signs, although some differences apply to Blue Badge holders, motorcycles and electric cars. Some general guidelines included in the Glove Box Parking Guide are:

When can I park on a...

• Single yellow line? Parking's usually banned during work hours, but check signs. If there's no specific signage, the best bet's to assume it's the same as pay & display or residents' restrictions. See the loading exceptions below.

• Double yellow? No parking at any time. See the loading exceptions below.

• Red line? Single line means no stopping at given times. Double means NEVER.

• Residents' bays? Non-permit holders can only park outside signposted hours. Everyone can be ticketed when a bay's suspended.

• No road markings. You can usually park in suburban areas but check signs.

When can I load or unload?

You can stop on yellow lines if you are continuously loading heavy/bulky goods or to pick-up/drop off passengers, and if you are not blocking traffic. Some local authorities set a time limit on this but others allow you to stop for as long as necessary, so it is always worth checking the rules where you are. But watch for kerb blips (pictured), the single line means loading times are restricted and the double means no stopping at any time.

On a red line, you cannot load during controlled hours.

Most common parking mistakes

• "I was going to get change for the meter" - this is not a permitted excuse.

• "It's displayed, there are just others there" - tickets must be clear. 20 tickets on a dashboard is not clear.

• "It's only one wheel out of the bay" - that could still get you fined.

• "I can park on the pavement" - that's banned, unless specified.

• "Parking's free on bank holidays" - not always true, council rules vary.

• "If I pay straight after getting a ticket they'll let me off" - sadly not.

• "There was no yellow line, it's a bus stop" - don't block entrances, bays, traffic, dropped kerbs, bus stops or taxi ranks.