Parking rules

[Jukka Aho]

I would hope the authority in finland recommends them before an intersection and not afterwards but generally there are very few 211 signs.

I agree. But no, the recommendation and the relevant decree specifically state the sign 211 should be repeated after any major intersection/junction. I guess the primary purpose of the repeated sign is not to serve as a reminder for the drivers already on the priority road but to make the “continuous priority” status known to those who just joined the traffic...

Nonetheless, according to the same decree, the sign 211 can be posted before an intersection/junction, as a special case, if the priority route is “exceptional” (confusing to the drivers in some obvious way.) In such case, they also recommend using a suitable variant of the additional panel 861 to clarify the route which has priority.

Generally i've noticed the road authorities in Finland a bit lacking in the budget for signs or paint for white lines.

According to a recent study, road maintenance in Finland has suffered severe underfunding throughout the “noughties”... to the point of having to turn some low-priority country roads back to gravel...

[simaka]

Hey, as there is a big waiting queue to rent a parking place near the building where I live, I am parking at a normal parking near the road. The sign there looks like that:




I am assuming I can leave my car whenever and for as long as I wish to... am I right?

[simaka]

I guess the primary purpose of the repeated sign is not to serve as a reminder for the drivers already on the priority road but to make the “continuous priority” status known to those who just joined the traffic...

Exactly my thoughts - I am used to having this on every intersection and it's absence is making me a bit nervous here... I am paying extra attention when passing intersections that are not marked with priority signs (and working traffic lights of course).

Another interesting thing is that most of the "cold" gas stations don't have tire pressure units... I spent one evening almost 1 hour driving around Helsinki and Espoo until I found one. And of course all tires had perfect pressure making the whole exercise pointless

[Flossy1978]

I've never seen any 'cold' petrol stations with the tyre pressure machines.

I've only seen them at serviced petrol stations. And even then there aren't that many that have them.

And it sucks when the only place in town which has one, is not always working LOL. That's the problem I have where I live. The next one is about 15km away LOL.

[Liam1]

Couldn't post quotes as think post came too long

But on the Priority point.....

The biggest danger to me is due to a certain Finnish type (won't say which but it is not the prat in a BMW for once!) who are DETERMINED to use their "right of way" over cars when turning into roads which have equal priority. i.e. that there is a need to give way to the right.

It often manifests itself in a car turning left (so across traffic), pulling out irrespective of the fact that the other lane of that road is full or has a constant stream of traffic (who do not need to give way). What tends to happen is all 3 cars then have to brake.

One thing I'm not sure about is in such a situation when you have to give way to the right but you can see that this car cannot go, do you continue and risk been given the finger or wait (and risk being given the finger from those behind you?!)

[Upphew]

It often manifests itself in a car turning left (so across traffic), pulling out irrespective of the fact that the other lane of that road is full or has a constant stream of traffic (who do not need to give way). What tends to happen is all 3 cars then have to brake.

So someone decides to go when they _don't_ have right of way? "i.e. that there is a need to give way to the right."

One thing I'm not sure about is in such a situation when you have to give way to the right but you can see that this car cannot go, do you continue and risk been given the finger or wait (and risk being given the finger from those behind you?!)

I use pedestrians and other cars with right of way shamelessly as blockers.

[Pursuivant]

The sign there looks like that:
)

Can't see pic 403 'not logged in'

[Liam1]

It often manifests itself in a car turning left (so across traffic), pulling out irrespective of the fact that the other lane of that road is full or has a constant stream of traffic (who do not need to give way). What tends to happen is all 3 cars then have to brake.

So someone decides to go when they _don't_ have right of way? "i.e. that there is a need to give way to the right."

Yeah exactly - in their desperation to exercise the right of way over the one car they break the rules of the road / common sense. I'm sure the same car driver would not do this if it was a normal Give Way sign, but something in their brain says "my forefathers have died to give me the right of way over the car coming at me from the left and to ensure this road has EQUAL PRIORITY, so I need to cause a pile up to prove my point!!!".

[simaka]

The sign there looks like that:
)

Can't see pic 403 'not logged in'

Fixed, thanks!

[Pursuivant]

OK, yes unless you park a bus there

[riku2]

So someone decides to go when they _don't_ have right of way? "i.e. that there is a need to give way to the right."

having seen this behaviour many times I think there is an extra section in the highway code in finland: if you have been waiting at a junction for an unreasonable amount of time then you are allowed to pull out in front of other cars (who have right of way over you) and it's up to them to brake and avoid you. Otherwise you would be stuck there for a long time (eg more than 30 seconds).

This anyway is what I have observed. Patience is low in finnish drivers. See also the section on overtaking cyclists on bends/blind summits, joining motorways without needing to adjust your speed to match traffic already on there and using the full width of the road in the countryside (ie no need to keep to the right of the lines down the middle, they are a suggestion only).

[simaka]

I got my first parking ticket. I am guessing it's because I forgot to put the little plastic "clock" that shows when I parked there...



I know I am at fault, but still at 9:22 the 4 hours allowed where I had parked were not expired...


Anyway, I think I will not forget it again

[Upphew]

I know I am at fault, but still at 9:22 the 4 hours allowed where I had parked were not expired...

They don't know if it is expired or not, if you don't use the disk.
You know that you can park for more than 4 hours with that sign? Park at 15:45 and drive away 08:00 and the parking would be fully legal.

[simaka]

Hey Upphew, I usually park in the evening (8pm) and drive away in the morning about 9:30. I always set my plactic sign to show that I parked at 06:00am. Is that how one should do it?

[Upphew]

Hey Upphew, I usually park in the evening (8pm) and drive away in the morning about 9:30. I always set my plactic sign to show that I parked at 06:00am. Is that how one should do it?

IIRC, yes. Esko seems to agree: http://www.iltalehti.fi/autot/201301020153057_ae.shtml