What does Highway Code Rule 243 say?

Rule 243 (Parking (rules 239 to 247)) DO NOT stop or park: - near a school entrance - anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services - at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank - on the ap… It is a legal requirement, it uses “MUST” or “MUST NOT”, so breaking it is a criminal offence that can mean a fine, penalty points, or disqualification.

Is Rule 243 a legal requirement?

Yes. Rule 243 uses “MUST” or “MUST NOT”, which marks it as backed by law. Disobeying it is a criminal offence and can lead to a fine, penalty points on your licence, or disqualification.

How is Rule 243 tested on the driving test?

Parking and waiting rules underpin the controlled stop and the manoeuvre exercises (parallel park, bay park, pull up on the right). The examiner checks that you stop legally and safely, with the right observations, before and after the manoeuvre.

What are the common mistakes related to Rule 243?

The faults examiners most often record around this part of the Code are: insufficient observation during the reversing manoeuvre; finishing the manoeuvre poorly positioned or too far from the kerb; moving off afterwards without a proper all-round check. Rehearsing the safe habit during lessons is the most reliable way to avoid them.

Highway Code · Rule 243

Highway Code Rule 243

Waiting and parking (238 to 252). A legal requirement (MUST / MUST NOT).

Waiting and parking
Legal requirement
OGL v3.0

What the rule says

Law · MUST

Rule 243 (Parking (rules 239 to 247)) DO NOT stop or park:

near a school entrance
anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services
at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank
on the approach to a level crossing/tramway crossing
opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space
near the brow of a hill or hump bridge
opposite a traffic island or (if this would cause an obstruction) another parked vehicle
where you would force other traffic to enter a tram lane
where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles
in front of an entrance to a property
on a bend
where you would obstruct cyclists’ use of cycle facilities except when forced to do so by stationary traffic. In Scotland you MUST NOT double park or park anywhere the kerb has been lowered to help pedestrians or cyclists. Exceptions are allowed in limited circumstances. Law T(Scot)A part 6

Rule text reproduced verbatim from the official Highway Code (Crown copyright) under the Open Government Licence v3.0, see the attribution at the foot of this page.

In plain English

Stripped of the formal wording, Rule 243 comes down to one idea: rule 243 (Parking (rules 239 to 247)) DO NOT stop or park: - near a school entrance - anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services - at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank - on the ap… Because it is written with “MUST” or “MUST NOT”, it carries the force of law, ignore it and you are committing an offence, not simply driving badly.

It belongs to the waiting and parking part of the Code, the habits a confident, considerate driver builds until they are automatic. The aim is not to memorise the sentence word for word, but to understand the hazard it protects you from, so you apply it without having to think when it counts.

If you are learning, treat this rule as one piece of a connected set rather than an isolated fact. The related rules below sit in the same section and reinforce each other, reading them together is how the waiting and parking part of the Code starts to feel like common sense rather than a list to revise.

Because this is a legal rule, the consequences of ignoring it reach beyond the test: a “MUST” or “MUST NOT” breach can mean a fixed penalty, points on your licence, or in serious cases prosecution. Either way, the safe move is to build the habit early, while a driving instructor can correct it, rather than relearning it under test pressure. That is exactly what the practice routes and coaching in the DriveRoutes app are designed to help with, turning the rules below into the way you naturally drive.

Why rule 243 matters on the road

Stopping and parking badly creates hazards for everyone, blocking sightlines, forcing others into the path of oncoming traffic, or trapping pedestrians. Doing it cleanly keeps the road flowing and prevents the close calls that careless parking causes.

Common faults examiners record

In the waiting and parking part of the Code, the faults most often written on the marking sheet tend to be the same handful. Knowing them in advance is the quickest way to drive them out of your own habits:

Insufficient observation during the reversing manoeuvre.
Finishing the manoeuvre poorly positioned or too far from the kerb.
Moving off afterwards without a proper all-round check.

On the day

Picture the examiner asking for a manoeuvre. Applying Rule 243 means choosing a safe, legal spot, taking all-round observation before and during the exercise, and finishing tidily positioned. The manoeuvre itself matters less than the observation and control you show around it.

Quick checklist

Pick a safe, legal place to stop or manoeuvre.
Take all-round observation before and during the exercise.
Check fully again before you move off.

Related Highway Code rules

Rule 243, your questions

: Rule 243 (Parking (rules 239 to 247)) DO NOT stop or park: - near a school entrance - anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services - at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank - on the ap… It is a legal requirement, it uses “MUST” or “MUST NOT”, so breaking it is a criminal offence that can mean a fine, penalty points, or disqualification.

DriveRoutes is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).