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Summer Street madness as drivers forced to change lanes to avoid man on road
By Peter Holmes
Motorists who park too far from the kerb on Summer Street are risking serious injury or worse by opening their doors to oncoming traffic.
Cars were forced to swerve around a man on Summer Street recently after he alighted his vehicle onto the road, near Loc Sing Chinese restaurant.
The man stood on the road for a number of seconds as cars changed lanes to avoid hitting him.
He then walked slowly across four lanes to get to the other side of Summer Street.
"I have noticed this [happening]," said road safety officer for Cabonne and Orange councils, Andrea Hamilton-Vaughan.
"Fancy getting out of a car into oncoming traffic on Summer Street.
"You’re required to park close to the kerb."
Hamilton-Vaughan said she had seen people parking well away from the kerb, before alighting their vehicle to take children from the car.
"What this tells me is that these people can’t parallel park, and there are a lot of people in Orange who are challenged by parallel parking because there is not enough of it."
The road laws in NSW require that "before opening your door, you must check your mirrors and blind spots for pedestrians, bicycles and other vehicles".
They state that "unless a sign says otherwise" you must park:
* In the same direction as traffic;
* Parallel and as close as possible to the kerb;
* Within any line markings and;
* At least 1m in front of and back from any other parked vehicle.
On a one-way street, you can also park on the right side of the road.
More information here.
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