Any parent will know how difficult it is to manoeuvre yourself and at least one child out of and into a car, often with a trolley nearby, in a regular-sized parking space.
This is why most supermarket car parks have designated, larger, spaces for people shopping with children. These bays allow parents to safely buckle little ones into car seats and fold a pram or buggy, among other things.
The spaces are also closer to store entrances, so you don't have far to walk with youngsters in tow.
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But what are the rules? Is there an age limit? And is it illegal for people to park there when not accompanied by children?
When it comes to age, Confused.com says the general rule is that you can park in a parent and child bay if you’re visiting the store with a child that’s under 12 or in a car seat. If your child isn't going to use the car, it said, "really think about whether you need to use the space".
Sometimes people will wrongly park in the bays, maybe because there were no other spaces or they were only "nipping" into the shop. And there is actually no law against doing so.
As most supermarket car parks are on private property, there are no official government or council-level rules on these bays. That means it’s not illegal to park in a parent and child space without a child. But you could get a Parking Charge Notice (PCN), the same as you would if you overstayed in a car park.
The way supermarkets penalise people for wrongly parking in parent and child bays differs, but here are the rules for Aldi, Tesco, Asda and others, according to Confused.com:
Asda
An external agency monitors Asda’s car parks. They carry out regular checks to enforce their parking regulations. If someone has parked incorrectly they could get a parking charge.
Tesco
An external agency might issue a parking charge notice (PCN) to anyone wrongly parked.
Aldi
If a customer has noticed someone misusing a parent and child bay they’re encouraged to report it to the store manager. However, they’re unable to enforce this as there are limited staff in store.
Lidl
Lidl monitor the use of parent and child parking bays. They say that they strongly rely on the honesty of customers to park correctly.
Morrisons
If someone parks their car incorrectly they’re politely asked to move, or a sign is placed on their windscreen.
Sainsbury's
Stores enforce parking rules and handles any misuse. The car park operators would issue any fines to those found breaking the rules.
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