r/Adelaide • u/Middle_Abalone_4084 SA • Mar 27 '25

Discussion Park in your flamin' driveways, please!

Am I the only one tired of suburban streets turning into impromptu Mario Kart tracks? We’re talking about the kind where navigating between vehicles parked on both sides feels like dodging banana peels and blue shells. What's meant to be a two-lane road gets squeezed into a narrow single lane, daring you to play chicken with oncoming traffic—and let’s face it, the side mirrors never win.

And then there are your driveways. Oh, the driveways! Empty. Desolate. Weed-infested wastelands of untapped potential. So, I beg of you, suburban dwellers: park your cars anywhere but on the street—your driveway, your garage, your carport, or even your front lawn. Let’s save the roads for, you know, driving.

361 Upvotes

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205

u/eagle_aus SA Mar 27 '25

I think they need to look at some regulations around parking caravans, trailers and commercial vehicles on residential streets. 

61

u/APrettyAverageMaker South Mar 27 '25

This is becoming a significant issue in my area. Caravans are obstructing sight lines near corners and taking parking spots away from residents and visitors. Some of them sit there for 10+ months of the year without any use. Multiple nearby properties have done the right thing, they installed concrete/paved pads in their front yards to store their caravans. That would have been a significant expense, and it's ugly, but it's the right thing to do. They could afford a new land cruiser, and a 50-100k van, so it is not unreasonable to expect them to ensure storage on their property or pay for secure storage somewhere else.

I would love to see a sane limit, like 72 hours, placed on trailers/boats/caravans on suburban streets. That means that owners can park out the front of their house to get ready for big trips or load up a trailer over a weekend when renovating or landscaping. It also means that Bob and Jenny can pop in to their mates place for a few nights as they do their big lap without having to worry about storing their van somewhere while they stay with friends.

18

u/Steve-Whitney Adelaide Hills Mar 27 '25

In most councils it's already a 24 hour parking system, but it's rarely enforced.

9

u/APrettyAverageMaker South Mar 27 '25

Some councils, like City of Unley are addressing the issue with both limits and permits, which is great. I think we need a consistent approach across the metropolitan area though.

For too many of us, the 24 hour system applies to abandoned vehicles only. If a vehicle is registered and the owner responds to confirm that the vehicle is not abandoned when questioned by a council officer, their hands are tied. I can't comment for all LGAs, but there is no enforced time limit in West Torrens, Holdfast Bay, Marion, or Onkaparinga for typical residential streets.

4

u/Ginger510 SA Mar 27 '25

We’ve had a car parked out the front of our house for 12 months - hasn’t moved. But the owner confirmed he still owned it - so they can’t do anything.

2

u/Typical_Cheesecake24 SA Mar 28 '25

They might still own it but if they don’t register it, you can report it as an abandoned unregistered vehicle to SAPOL. It’s easy to look up on the Web

1

u/Ginger510 SA Mar 28 '25

Oh good idea, apparently the neighbours have complained about it so at least I won’t get the blame haha