I've noticed that many supermarket/DIY store car parks now have 'official'-looking signage - no entry, turn left, speed limit, that sort of thing.
Can anyone tell me if these signs have any legal weight in the eyes of the law, or whether they could be used to apportion blame in the event of a collision?
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My daughter's car was hit by another that ignored a 'give way' in a supermarket car park. It turned out he wasn't insured - plod was very interested. He paid for repairs out of his own pocket, but I got the impression my daughter's insurance company would have used the signs as evidence of his fault.
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I cant find it in forum search, but I think I read here that road laws apply in supermaket car parks. I am sure one of our legal experts will be along soon.
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does car insurance cover you on private property though, ie tescos car park?
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I would hope so! The insurance companies have an interest when it is on my private property, ie, garaged or not.
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Even if the Road Traffic Act (etc.) didn't apply, then the Health & Safety At Work Act would almost certainly cover any place of business; take the example of a building site - you have a legally-binding duty of care to obey the signage where there is any health or safety issue. If you ignored a no entry sign and ran into someone, it would be almost impossible to convince a court that you weren't criminally liable.
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If road laws do apply, then they must be a modified version. The crossings do not normally have the proper belisha beacons, nor the road studs at 20 yards or whatever it is. The black and white markings I am sure do not comply with the usual BS specification.
The signs often look like smaller-scale imitations of the real ones. Speed limits have to go through a proper publication and notification procedure to be lawful. There has to be street lighting to certain standards and spacing.
Mr Loophole would make short work of them, I suspect.
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Private property to which there is public access is different to private property i.e tescos car park is not the same as your back garden. My understanding is that the RTA applies ot the car park, but I wouldn't be so sure about if the signage is legal.
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Whilst a Supermarket Car Park can be argued not to be a 'road' under Road Traffic Acts SI 726 of 2000 added the requirement to have Insurance and obligations in relation to accidents were added to RTA 88 with the inclusion of 'public place' i.e. where the public place unfetted access. Similarly drink driving law was amended to include public place.
In relation to signs then a Traffic Regulation Order would be required and signing in accordance with TSGD for them to legal and require compliance. TRO's not normally issued in relation to Supermarket car Parks etc so their role there is advisory. Breach no doubt could be used to substantiate negligence under a civil claim.
dvd
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Legally, I don't think tesco could fine you for exceeding a speed limit sign, or not giving way. However, another user of the car park could use the signs in a civil case against you, to claim for damages. Even there I don't think they're any more than advisory.
I don't know how they enforce their disabled / parent & toddler spaces
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Can anyone tell me if these signs have any legal weight
They do not.
or whether they could be used to apportion blame in the event of a collision?
Quite possibly.
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