Motoring Offences
Parking in Leeds
If you park illegally in Leeds you can be fined up to £70. This is halved if you pay promptly, but it will rise if you do not pay on time, and you can ultimately be taken to court.
This includes:
- parking dangerously or too close to a junction
- parking on double yellow lines at any time, or single yellow times at certain times.
- parking in residents permit areas (such as Moorland Road next to Woodhouse Moor, which is regularly patrolled).
You can find information about how to pay and how to appeal at the City Council’s website.
Parking on and around campus
Parking on campus itself is reserved for visitors and staff. There is no student parking provided by the University. If you have a disability, you can find out whether you are eligible for a University parking permit by contacting the Equality Service on 0113 343 3927 or disability@leeds.ac.uk, or textphone 0113 343 2615. You can then apply for a parking permit by contacting Estate Services at carparking@leeds.ac.uk or on 0113 343 5491.
Parking in student areas
The Student Advice Centre would like to remind students to please consider their neighbours when parking in areas popular with students, particularly Hyde Park and Headingley. Student houses may have many more cars per house than the average family or other type of residence and so the roads easily become congested and the parking spaces of other residents taken up.
Bringing a car to university
Overall, considering the running costs, parking difficulties, and the extensive public transport system in Leeds, we wouldn’t recommend bringing a car to University. We’d advise students to think carefully about their needs and budget before doing so.
Motoring offences
If you are being prosecuted for a motoring offence, you will be notified either at the time by a police officer or you will be served a summons or notice of intended prosecution within 14 days of the incident. If you are notified by post, you will be required to identify the driver. Failure to do so without reasonable excuse would make you liable for a penalty, similar to the offence itself, such as a fine and penalty points.
Minor offences are ‘ticketed’ and are dispensed in the form of either a Penalty Charge Notice, a Fixed Penalty Notice or a Conditional Offer Notice. These are generally civil rather than criminal penalties. Generally this applies to parking offences although, increasingly, other driving offences are dealt with in this way, such as ignoring bus lanes and access restrictions.
Serious offences are dealt with in the Magistrates Court. If you are accused of a serious motoring offence, you should seek legal advice from, for example, Community Legal Service Direct or a local solicitor’s firm.
You must notify your insurance company if you are convicted of an offence, although this does not include parking tickets for some companies. If in doubt it is best to inform them - if they are not told at the time and find out they could refuse to deal with claims in the future.
Please see the AA’s (Automobile Association) website for more information on motoring offences.
If your offence is criminal in nature, such as dangerous or drink driving, under university regulations you will have to inform your department. Please see the University's criminal convictions policy webpage for details.
Protecting your vehicle
If your car is stolen, you should report it immediately to the police. The police will notify the DVLA on your behalf. You should make a note of the crime reference number in order to make an insurance claim and for a vehicle tax refund. You should also call your insurance company straightaway for advice. Please see the Direct Gov site for more information.
Although obvious! We recommend that read and think about the following top tips regarding the security of car:
- Don’t leave expensive items on display in your car.
- Use an immobiliser – these are electronic devices that prevent your car from starting without the keys. They must be professionally fitted by approved agencies.
- Park in well-lit, open areas, or attended car parks – particularly those with the ParkMark – they are part of a Government funded Safer Parking Scheme.
- Use a steering wheel lock every time you leave the vehicle unattended.
- Get an alarm fitted.
- Buy locking wheel nuts to prevent your wheels being stolen.
- Have your vehicle registration number or the last seven digits of your vehicle identification number etched onto all windows, both windscreens and your headlamps – this could help identify your car if it was stolen.
- Mark your equipment, e.g. car stereo or satnav, with your vehicle registration number.
- Before buying a used car, check that is has not been reported stolen. Contact the DVLA on 0300 790 6104 to check the vehicle’s details, or see the DirectGov webpage for more information. If you do buy a stolen vehicle, you could lose the car without a refund, inherit any charges attached to the vehicle and risk police involvement.
For more information on keeping your vehicle safe from crime, please see the AA’s website or Direct.Gov.
Accidents
If you write off your vehicle you must notify the DVLA (Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency). The DVLA performs Vehicle Identity Checks on cars damaged in accidents to prevent stolen cars being passed on through accident repair. Please see Direct.Gov website for further information.