Stopping, parking and traffic lights 

Rules regarding how to park or stop

• When you either park or stop on a road, during night, dawn or dusk, or if the visibility is very poor due to for instance heavy rain or fog, you should have the vehicle's rear lights and parking lights turned on.
• When parking in a parking space you are not allowed to have a wheel outside the space, which often is defined by white road markings. So in this case (image 1) the wheel is outside the marked space, thus this is not allowed.

Image 1: Example of how you may not park

• A mandatory stop specifically refers to the obligation to stop at the stop line when you need to stop at a traffic signal. If a stop line is missing (image 2), you have to stop right before the signal itself (example A). Or, if the signal is for instance located on the other side of the intersecting road, you should stop before driving onto that road (example B).

Image 2: Stop line is missing

• Double parking (image 3) means that a car has parked next to another car that has either parked as well or stopped alongside a road. Indicated by this illustration;

Image 3: Double parking

• On emergency areas that are located immediately next to country roads, and parking areas on the side of the road, you should position your car as far forward as possible, leaving enough space behind you for other vehicles for also park on the space. For instance if you have problems with your engine and you are forced to stop at this space (image 4) directly next to the road.

Image 4: Emergency area

• When you have to stop where there is a stop line located, you should stop your car right before the stop line (indicated in this illustration) (image 5) so you can clearly see the road you want to drive onto, but you are not allowed to stop onthe stop line or after it.

Image 5: Correct position when stopping at stop line

General rules regarding where you are allowed to stop or park

• The general rule is that you are prohibited to park on a priority road. However, there are exceptions, for instance if there is a parking sign at a specific location on a priority road, as in this example (image 6).

Image 6: Parking sign on priority road

• Loading and unloading your car and dropping and picking up passengers are not regarded as parking. Therefore, if parking is not allowed it does not always mean that you are not allowed to drop of someone or unload items from your car.
• If you want to stop at the side of the road to answer a phone call while driving on a priority road, you should be aware that this most often is not allowed. The general rule is that you are prohibited to park on a priority road, and answering a phone is not considered as stopping but as parking. There might be designated parking spaces on or near priority roads, in that case you are allowed to stop there to answer a phone call.
• If you’re driving on a priority road and you come across a sign that indicates that a prohibition to stop or park is not valid anymore, that you should be aware that it does not eliminate the general rule that you are not allowed to park on a priority road. For instance if you come across this sign (image 7) while you know that you are driving on a priority road.

Image 7: End of prohibition of parking and stopping after the sign

• White lines like these (image 8) indicate an obstruction marking (M9), and you are not allowed to park or stop a vehicle on those;

Image 8: Obstruction marking

Stopping at bus stops

• You are allowed to pass by a bus at a bus stop when the speed limit is above 50 km/h. If a bus is indicating it is leaving the bus stop and the speed limit is 50 km/h or lower, then you have to give way.
• Always be cautious for pedestrians crossing the road, when passing by a bus at a bus stop. When passing by a bus at a bus stop it's good to have some extra distance between you and the bus in case someone would run out in front of the bus, but not too far from the bus that it would be dangerous with regards to uncoming traffic.

Junctions and crossings

• It is prohibited to stop or park a vehicle in a junction or within 10 metres of the outer edge of an intersecting carriageway, and you are also not allowed to park in a junction, for instance in this picture (image 9). 

Image 9: Parking is not allowed in junctions

• It is prohibited to stop or park a vehicle within 10 metres before a bicycle crossing or a pedestrian crossing.

Stopping and parking at other places

• There isn't any general rule against stopping on a bridge. So if it is not indicated anywhere that you are not allowed to stop on the bridge, then stopping on that bridge is not prohibited.
• In underpasses and tunnels you are not allowed to park nor stop.
• You are allowed to park in home zones, but only in parking spots that are designated for parking, often indicated with white road markings.
• Sometimes you are allowed to park on the side of the road, without there being any specific road markings indicating parking spaces. But sometimes there are exits on these roads. If you look closely you can see that the kerbstones here (image 10) are angled, this most likely indicates that that is an exit.

Image 10: Exit

Therefore you can sometimes see cars parked but in between small areas designated as exits, where you are not allowed to park, like in this picture (image 11).

Image 11: Exit between parked cars

• You are not allowed to stop or park a vehicle along a road side if it is less than 3 metres from the solid line that indicates the boundry between the lanes, unless there is a warning line between your vehicle and the solid line. So in this case (image 12), if both cars have stopped that means that in case A is not allowed, but in case B it is allowed.

Image 12: Parking or stopping shall be done 3 meters from the solid line (B)

Basic recommendations and facts regarding stopping and parking

• It is recommended that you put your car in a low gear and that you apply the handbrake when parking it.
• When you park your car on a downhill slope, you should position the wheels to the right (towards the side of the road), because if the car would happen to start moving, it would be rolling forward towards the right, and at the side of the road there is probably a kerb, which will lead to the car to stop. Thus facing the wheels towards the right side is much safer. For instance if you park here (image 13) on a downward slope you should position you wheels as indicated by the arrow, so the car can’t roll down the slope if for instance the handbrake would break.

 

Image 13: Turn the wheels towards the right if you park here on a downward slope

• If an emergency vehicle has its sirenesand/or its rotating blue lights on than you should clear a path for it. You only have to stop or move out of its way if that is necessary according to the situation. So if you spot an ambulance that has its rotating blue lights on, but it is on the opposite side of the road, then you can most likely just continue driving normally.
• Stopping a vehicle is defined as coming to a complete standstill when it;

1) is not done to avoid danger

2) is not done with the intention to park

3) is not done due to traffic conditions(for example traffic jams)

So if you have to stop to avoid an accident, or because there is a lot of traffic in front of you, this is not considered as ‘stopping’, and therefore is not prohibited on roads where stopping is prohibited.

• A parking disc is an alternative to parking tickets to limit the time you can park. In some parking areas these are used and parking then is free.
• If you are not allowed to stop somewhere then you are certainly also not allowed to park there. But the other way around does not neccessarily have to be the case; if there is a parking prohibition it does not automatically mean that stopping is not allowed.

Traffic lights

• The flashing amber (image 14) (SIG5) indicates that you should be cautious when passing it, so you can drive, but carefully. This light is shown when the traffic lights are out of service.

Image 14: Flashing amber (SIG5)

• Some traffic lights are designated for different directions. In case of the traffic lights shown here (image 15), one light is red, but it doesn't matter for traffic turning right, since the arrow is green. That means that all traffic going straight and to the left is not allowed to drive yet, but traffic to the right is allowed to drive.

Image 15: Turning right immediately is allowed

Lights at trains and fire department

• Flashing red signals, like the one in this picture (image 16),are located at places like moving bridges, fire department, airports, etc. If the signal starts flashing red (SIG16), then you must stop either at the stop line or, if there isn't any stop line, at the signal and wait until the lights go out (note: these lights never turn green, ones they are not flashing anymore then you're allowed to drive). In the situation in this picture a stop line is missing, therefore you shall stop at the signal.

Image 16: Flashing red (SIG16)

• It is important to remember that at guarded railway crossings, after a train has passed by, first the gates are raised completely, after that the red lights are turned off, then you are allowed to drive.