Parking well is mostly common sense made specific: don't block anyone, don't be a hazard, and follow a couple of rules that change at night. Get these and you'll never come back to a ticket or a tutting neighbour.
In daytime, the basics: park with the flow of traffic, close to the kerb, not blocking driveways or narrowing the road dangerously. Don't park facing oncoming traffic on a road unless it's a marked bay.
At night, two extra things. On most roads you must park in the direction of the traffic so your reflectors face oncoming drivers, and on faster roads (over 30 mph) you should leave parking lights on so you can be seen. In a lit 30 zone, side lights usually aren't needed — but never park against the flow in the dark.
The bits that matter
- Park with the flow of traffic, close to the kerb, blocking no one.
- At night, face the direction of traffic so your reflectors show.
- On faster, unlit roads, leave parking lights on to be seen.
Memory anchor
At night, park with the flow
After dark, always park facing the same way as the traffic. Then your red rear reflectors face the cars coming up behind, glowing in their headlights to say "parked car here". Park against the flow at night and you're invisible from behind until it's too late.
Out on the road
The unlit country lane at night
You park on a dark rural road facing the right way, side lights on. A car comes round the bend — and your reflectors and lights give it plenty of warning. The driver who parked facing the wrong way with no lights, just past you, is a dark shape that appears far too late. Same lane, very different risk.
The mistake everyone makes
Parking facing oncoming traffic in the dark
By day it's untidy; by night it's genuinely dangerous, because your reflectors face the wrong way and you're nearly invisible to traffic behind. The fix is simple — always park in the direction of the traffic on your side, and you'll be seen.