A couple of questions regarding motoring law

[{Dakota}]

1. Is it illegal to freewheel down a hill?

2. Is it illegal to park on the side of the street that is in the opposite the direction to which you want to travel?

Thanks

[Panic Button]

1. Yes. You are not in 'full control of the vehicle'

2. Yes, at night time.

[david1702198]

regarding your second question i think someone answered this on here quite recently, i think it is only at night in a poorly lit area that it is illegal to park against the flow of traffic, ethel will tell you the corrct ruling!!

[Panic Button]

Highway Code Rule 248


You MUST NOT park on a road at night facing against the direction of the traffic flow unless in a recognised parking space.


[Laws CUR reg 101 & RVLR reg 24]

[{Dakota}]

Well I never! I'm so surprised at the 1st question! How could the police possibly enforce that?

Isn't it much and such the same as driving with cruise control on?

[New Judge]

The Highway Code gives advisory information concerning things you should do, and mandatory information on things you must do.

Para 239 (advisory):

If you have to stop on the roadside...do not park facing against the flow of traffic

And on parking at night:

Para 248 (mandatory):

You MUST NOT park on a road at night facing against the direction of traffic unless in a recognised parking space

[whiffey]

Vis a vis not a lot, I once tried for the ultimate in fuel-saving by switching my engine off completely and coasting down a long long hill in neutral. Very quiet and enjoyable until, at the bottom - NO BRAKES !!! (servo assisted).

I had to stop on the handbrake, and it was a terrifying lesson.

[{Dakota}]

This is how my first question came about, whiffey. I had forgotten my purse a few weeks ago and was seriously low on petrol, so, in an attempt to preserve the precious little petrol I did have, I freewheeled it most of the way home. I didn't have a problem with my breaks though.

I have since been told that freewheeling doesn't preserve the petrol anyway.

[Panic Button]

Have you ever used cruise control?

It is just one of the methods of controlling a vehicle, so it means you are in full control.

However if you coast down a hill, particularly in neutral, you are not in full control. There is a danger of overheating your brakes, and the difficulty in reselecting a gear when needed.

As regards police enforcement, they could only do you for it if you had an accident and admitted it. They do have a crime of not being in full control of a vehicle, and perhaps if any of the boys in blue are here they could add to this.

[Panic Button]

Oh Whiffey!

If you turn the engine off there is also a loss of power steering (not a problem in a car, but I had a faulty engine cut out with clutch depressed on an articulated lorry - no steering!)

Worse still if you turn the engine off, the security steering lock might engage as you turn the wheel.

[gouldc]

Panic Button - I had that happen to me once whilst working in a garage.

Had to tow a car from across the road where it had been parked.

I was in the car being towed, and whilst I turned the ignition to live (to get the PAS and brakes working), being very young and inexperienced, I forgot about the steering lock, which re-locked, causing much hilarity as I travelled in a different direction to the vehicle towing me!

[Toureman]

It is NOT illegal to freewheel down hill !

here is nothing about this in the Highway code or in motoring law.

[david1702198]

also if you turn the engine of you lose the servo assistance on the brakes and also engine braking by going down the gears

[david1702198]

if it is not illeagl then why woulf it be frowned upon during a driving test?

[JonnyBoy12]

No, Dakota, I don't have a problem with my "breaks" either. I have to have them by law every 5 hours or more after driving my bus for that length of time.