Stopping or parking?
Stopping briefly to let people get in or out, or to load and unload, is stopping. Leaving your vehicle for longer is parking. Some places only forbid parking; others forbid stopping too.
Where you may not park
- On the pavement, unless signs allow it
- On a cycle path
- In front of an entrance or exit
- At a bus stop
- Within 5 metres of a crossroads
- On a disabled parking space without a valid disabled parking card
Where you may not even stop
- On a pedestrian crossing (zebra)
- Where there is a continuous yellow line along the kerb
- Where a no-stopping sign (red cross) applies
Special parking areas
- Blue zone (blauwe zone): set a parking disc (parkeerschijf) to your arrival time and place it behind the windscreen.
- Residential zone (erf): park only in marked spaces.
- Charging spaces: only for electric vehicles that are charging.
Parking safely
Use the parking brake. In a manual car also leave it in gear; in an automatic, set it to P. Before getting out, check for cyclists and other traffic.