What to do if your car is blocked
Often there is a situation when, due to the lack of free space or in connection with the rudeness of other motorists, the car turns out to be locked in the yard or parking lot. Many do not know what to do in this situation and how to release your vehicle. The proposed material considers what should be done if the car is blocked, ways out of such a situation.
Is it possible to move the blocked car on your own
Most motorists have a desire to remove the obstacle on their own. But not everyone knows whether you can call a tow truck if your car is blocked, or remove someone else’s car in another way.
The main thing to remember is that there is no need to be nervous and do rash things. According to the comments of the competent representatives of the traffic police, you should not try to move the interfering vehicle by yourself without notifying the owner. Calling a wrecker for this purpose is not a legal thing to do if it is someone else’s car.
However, if the vehicle is scratched or damaged, the owner is entitled to apply to the courts for compensation for damages, after documenting the defects and conducting an examination to confirm the damage. If proven guilty, you will have to pay damages, which will be quite expensive.
Is it possible to call the employees of the State Road Traffic Safety Inspectorate?
If you ask for advice from experts, the recommendations are as follows: if there is no way to find the owner and no one to turn to due to the absence of the driver in place, so that the blocking was removed as soon as possible and the blocked vehicle was removed, contact the traffic police. No need to think where to call the blocked – simple numbers 02 or 112, after which the request will be transferred to the appropriate service.
How to be in the situation
In this case, you should remain calm. If the owner is known, it is worth contacting him. And if there is no such a possibility, it is necessary to contact the competent authorities (GIBDD). They are designed to solve such issues, if you can’t find a way out of the problem on your own.
The car owner, who has created obstacles for traffic movement, will take appropriate measures of administrative influence, according to part 4 of article 12.19 of the Administrative code. In such a situation, the perpetrator is subject to a fine of two thousand rubles (in federal cities the fine is increased to three thousand), and the car will be transported to a penalty parking lot.
Exit from the courtyard is blocked
If your car is blocked in the yard by a car belonging to your neighbors or other people, do not take rash actions and panic, even if you are late for an important meeting or work.
In such a situation, it is usually acquaintances (neighbors), who are easy to address personally, informing that your vehicle was locked in the yard and it is necessary to free the passage. Most neighbors and their vehicles are known, so there is no question of who to contact. The problem will be quickly resolved without scandals and conflicts, because the perpetrator is not interested in stirring up a quarrel.
However, such issues are not always resolved so easily. If a neighbor is absent or the car is unknown, you have to wait until the driver arrives and clears the driveway.
Many people are tempted to pretend they didn’t notice the obstruction and hit the car, scratching the body. This will force the owner to spend time on insurance and damage compensation. But you shouldn’t act so recklessly. A moment of moral satisfaction will turn into claims from the neighbor, especially since there will always be witnesses of the accident and well-wishers in the yard, who will inform him about the culprit of the defect.
The driver who has blocked in such a situation is only threatened with a small administrative fine of three hundred rubles, and the one who caused the damage will have to reimburse the money spent on the repair of the car.
In this case, it is much easier to report the problem to the traffic police, and the issue will be resolved in the way described above, which will allow you to leave the yard without breaking the law and avoiding trouble.
The exit from the parking space is blocked
The situation when the exit from the parking lot is blocked is not so rare. It is not always the case that car owners follow the established parking rules when they park their car, causing problems for other drivers. There are several solutions to such situations:
- Try to find a phone number or other contact information on the car – sometimes drivers leave the information under the window or press it with a wiper. If such a note is found, you will need to call the owner and agree on a solution;
- affect the car alarm system, designed for feedback – some cars are equipped with such means, which transmit a signal to the key fob with the driver’s keys. These places are marked accordingly – the image of a paw or hand;
- start the audible siren of a conventional alarm system by patting the car;
- honk the horn for a short time. There is a chance that the owner still hears his car and somehow reacts. But you should not keep your hand on the horn for a long time, because you are breaking the rules of sound signals usage and disturbing other people. Especially when the problem arose in the courtyard of a high-rise building;
- Call the representatives of the traffic police – an extreme measure, which is worth resorting to, if the issue is not resolved by other means.
Many people are tempted to move the culprit by themselves or with the help of a friend with his car. But if the car is damaged while moving, there are more serious problems than loss of time.
If you can not get out of the situation by the listed methods, you will have to act as follows:
- wait for the owner to appear;
- refuse to travel, or use public transport, leaving your car. But you must also take care that it does not interfere with others.
These options will allow you to avoid many of the difficulties that can arise if you resort to independent resolution of the issue by methods that violate the requirements of the law.
Blocked Garage Exit
It is not uncommon to have problems leaving the garage if another motorist has unsuccessfully placed their car. In this situation, you should act in any of the ways listed above. It should not be forgotten that creating a hindrance to the movement of other vehicles and crossing refers to violations of p. 12.4 of the traffic rules, so to the perpetrators will be applied administrative sanctions.
To come to terms with the car owner, who allowed such a violation is better on their own, without resorting to the help of employees of the traffic police. But this way out is not always possible, so you have to resort to extreme measures.
The car blocked the exit
If such a situation occurs constantly, it is worth warning the culprit, leaving him a note and attaching it to the car. It is not uncommon for several cars to be blocked at once. In such cases, it will be easier to find a possible way out by collective effort.
If the owner is known to any of the locked drivers, the best solution is to try to contact the car owner whose car is creating the obstacle. But sometimes one cannot do without calling the traffic police and having the vehicle forcibly evacuated.
As follows from the presented material, do not panic if the car is blocked by an unscrupulous driver. There is no need to get in trouble, trying to remove the obstacle yourself or trying to pass with the risk of hitting someone else’s car. If there is no way to contact the owner, the best way to solve the problem is to call the traffic police, so that the car will be removed and the guilty party will take appropriate measures. Remember that the loss of time is not always worth resorting to drastic measures.
Where do I go if my car is blocked by another car in the yard or parking lot?
You are going to drive, but another driver blocked your car with his own, and he went somewhere? The situation is not pleasant, but quite solvable. If it is not a problem for you to sit and wait until the owner comes back and removes the car – just wait. And while you are waiting, read the articles on our website. For those who want to quickly solve the problem and finally clear the passage, we have prepared an entire manual – from finding a piece of paper with the number of the car owner to appeal online and call the traffic police.
What should I do if my car is blocked by another car?
The main thing is not to panic, and soberly assess the situation.
It is unlikely that you will know exactly the intentions of the troublemaker. Maybe he brought your mom some groceries and ran home for 5 minutes. Or deliberately blocked your exit from the yard in revenge for the fact that you put the car in his parking space.
Below we have described universal ways, so choose the best based on your situation.
Calling the Driver
Found a piece of paper with the driver’s cell phone number? Consider yourself lucky!
Where to look for a note?
- The most often the paper is put in a noticeable place – under the windshield or pressed by a “wiper”. Therefore, do not hesitate to clear the snow.
- If you didn’t find the note there, walk around the vehicle. It happens that on the back window there is a notice about the sale of the car (or any other) with the phone number of the owner – in this case, luck is on your side.
Then call the owner of the car and tell him that you can not leave the parking lot because of his car. If the subscriber does not answer or is not available, write an SMS or message on WhatsApp. Well, all you have to do is wait – in 90% of cases, the problem will soon be solved.
Calling the car dealer
Quite an “exotic” way, but it can also work.
When you can’t get in touch with the owner of the car, take a look at the registration plate. If you’re lucky, you’ll find out the name and contacts of the car dealership where the car is serviced – the phone number is usually written on the license plate frame.
Call the car dealership, explain the situation and ask the employee to find the details of the owner of the car. It’s useless to ask the dealership to give you this number – they will anyway refuse by virtue of the prohibition to disclose personal information about a person without his consent to third parties (Art. 7 of the Federal Law № 152 “On Personal Data). But the salon can contact the client who bought the car from them – in this case, ask the employee to tell the driver that his vehicle is blocking your exit from the parking lot.
Not the fact that the option will work – this is a minus. But if it works, and the owner will come down to the car – you will not have to call the traffic police and waste time on other ways.
If you don’t have a phone number
Then you will have to look for knowledgeable people.
Maybe next to warm up his “swallow” neighbor of the offender, or you noticed on the bench a group of pensioners. Ask if they know whose car blocked your exit from the parking lot. It is important to communicate without aggression, otherwise they will not tell you anything.
Maybe in this way you will establish the identity of the owner of the car. Or maybe they will give you his phone number or apartment number. Then it is a matter of technique.
Honk the horn or set off the alarm
If you don’t have time to search, you can attract the car owner’s attention.
What to do exactly?
- Stand by the car, which interferes with the exit, and kick the tires so that the alarm goes off. The car owner will hear it, look out the window, see you and is likely to come running to move the vehicle away. Do not hit the wheel rims – they can easily be deformed, and you will have to compensate for the damage.
- Some drivers have alarms with feedback, just in case of our problem. The sensor is built into a sticky shell, and the base in the form of a circle is attached to the windshield. The LED sensor is eye-catching even in the dark. Look around your car, maybe you will see just such a “alarm” with the inscription “Hit me” or “Knock twice” on the windshield. If you tap on this “paw,” the sensor will transmit information to the keychain owner that you are trying to leave the yard.
Minus impact on the alarm – the loud sounds for the whole yard and the risk of waking up the occupants of the house (for example, deep at night). In addition, not all cars are equipped with an alarm system.
Call the traffic police
If the above methods didn’t work, dial 112 (emergency) or 102 (police) from your mobile. Tell the person on duty that you cannot leave because of the car parked in front/rear. You will also need to dictate your full name, the number of the interfering car and the address from the place of violation.
The call will be transferred within the territoriality to the Department of Internal Affairs/GIBDD. After that, two options are possible:
- The police themselves will run the phone number of the troublemaker through the database and contact him – if you are lucky, the situation will be resolved quickly, and you will soon be able to leave the parking lot.
- A Road Patrol Service crew will be sent to the place to draw up a protocol for violation of paragraph 12.4 of the traffic rules, and in some cases, the vehicle will be evacuated when the driver could not be reached.
The disadvantage is that the waiting time for traffic police inspectors can take several hours. If you need to go urgently – it is inconvenient. And few people will want to wait for the arrival of the police for such a long time. However, if the task is to punish the restless neighbor violator, the game is worth it.
Move or tow someone else’s car
Here is where there are nuances that not everyone knows about.
Is it even possible to move the interfering car?
Yes, you can. Back in 2012, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation explained that moving someone else’s car by towing without the obvious intent to use the vehicle for personal purposes is not considered as misappropriation of property. And that means it doesn’t fall under the criminal responsibility (Ruling of the Judicial Board on Criminal Cases of the RF Supreme Court № 38-D12-21 dated October 25, 2012).
In other words, if you did not break into someone else’s car and did not sit behind the wheel, but towed/moved the vehicle for passage – it is not recognized as an attempt on private property (theft).
But if the car is damaged during the move, for example – the automatic transmission fails, that’s a problem! The owner of the car may get angry and sue you. And it is the court that will decide on the basis of expertise whether you are guilty of car’s damage or the defect was there in the first place. Therefore you should carefully calculate the risks, so as not to cause trouble.
Lifehack! If you still decided to drag someone else’s car, find helpers. Surely there is construction going on nearby or there are janitors. Offer to help them to drag the car a few meters for money. If it works, you can easily leave the parking lot. And it saves time, too! Sometimes the traffic police crew comes after 12 hours or more.
But be prepared to pay the “helpers”. Negotiate the price on their own, then as luck would have it.
Online complaint
If you have a strong desire to take revenge on the offender, you should file a complaint.
In Moscow you can complain via the mobile service “Moscow Assistant” (authorization at mos.ru is required). First, take a picture of the offender’s license plate number. The system will automatically determine the location and date. Then take pictures of the obstructing car from several angles, following the prompts of the “Assistant”.
The disadvantage is that the complaint will be processed within 60 days. And you will not be able to leave right away, either.
Residents of the regions can file a complaint on the official site of the traffic police in the section “Receiving appeals”.
Refusal to travel by car
If you are in a big hurry and there is no time for a showdown, you can call a cab or take public transportation. Finally, walk – if you are not far and have time.
What exactly you should not do?
No matter how angry you are that your car was “locked” in the yard, parking lot or gas station, in any case do not try to break the law and act with force. It will be followed by payback in the form of judicial proceedings and fines, at best.
So, what you should refrain from:
- Drive at your own risk, despite an obstacle in the form of another vehicle. When maneuvering, you may hit another car, which is considered a hit-and-run vehicle. That is, you will be considered guilty of a traffic accident. However, you will not be fined for this, and the damage will be compensated by the insurance company on MTPL. But you will have to repair your car yourself (in the absence of CASCO).
- Dumping the tires, pouring gasoline, scratching the body of someone else’s car – all this is regarded as defacing someone else’s property. If you really want to, you’d better leave a note where you’ll point out to the violator what he is wrong about. Maybe this will sober him up, and he will no longer block the exit of other cars.
Do not give in to emotions, even if you think you are 100% right. Otherwise, you will get into big trouble, and the other driver will only get a fine.
Parking tickets in 2022
Obstructing an exit is considered an administrative offense.
The amount of fine for improper parking on the roadway, if it interferes with the passage of other cars – 2 000 rubles (part 4 of article 12.19 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation). The driver will be fined for violating clause 12.4 of traffic rules, that is, leaving the car in a place where parking and stopping are prohibited.
If it happened in the area around the house, you have to pay 500 rubles (part 1). And if it happened in the second row – 1,000 rubles (part 3.2).
For violators in Moscow and St. Petersburg the amount of fine for improper parking on the roadway is more – it makes 3 000 rubles.
True, drivers can count on a 50% discount. To do this, you will have to pay the fine within 20 days – the amount will be twice less.
Will the violator’s license be taken away?
No, you will not be deprived of driving license for breaking the rules of stop and parking. You will only be fined if you pay a fine.
Can you be called for a tow truck if you are locked up?
No, because the call will not come from the owner of the car to be towed. But how in practice?
On the roadway.
The violation is fixed, the traffic police inspectors come and call the tow truck themselves (or they come right away with a forklift). The violator, who parked in the second row, will have to pay for the evacuation of the vehicle.
If the driver comes back and the forklift hasn’t yet started moving, the car won’t be taken away. But you will still get a ticket for improper parking.
In the yard
And there are no tow trucks in the yards of residential houses, even if the violation is made by the traffic policeman.
The explanation is simple – the allocated parking lots in the adjoining territory are not among the places where the tow truck can take the cars. Besides, there are some yards where the tow truck simply will not come – which means that loading the violator’s car will be inconvenient. That is why you can see rusty cars without owners in the yards, which stand in one place for many years.
