Nigeria Highway Code
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    • Part One - Pre-Road Use Activities
    • Part Two - Road Use Activities
    • Part Three - Post Road Use Activities
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VI. PARKING

Before parking, check your mirror and look out for other road users Signal to show your intention to stop.

Remember the Look-Signal-Move routine. Stop as close as you can to the edge of the road.

Before leaving your vehicle. switch off the engine and make sure your parking brake is on. Always lock your vehicle.
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Do not expose valuables in your vehicles. Where safety or anti-theft devices are installed, use them. Remember to switch off your headlamps at night.

Where not to park

Vou must not park wherever you see NO PARKING sign. You must not park wherever your vehicle will obstruct the views of other road users or constitute danger to them, for instance at or near:
  • Road junction
  • Bends or corners
  • Brow or crest of a hill
  • Narrow bridge
  • Level crossing
  • Bus stop
  • Pedestrians crossing, or on either side of a crossing
  • School entrance or other entrances
  • Footpath, pavement or cycle path
  • The left hand side of the road at night (except in a oneway street)

Do not block view of traffic signs

You should not park your vehicle in such a manner as to stop traffic flow or cause any inconvenience to others.
Do not park:
  • On a narrow road
  • On flyovers, in tunnels or in underpasses (unless there are signs to say you may park there)
  • On expressways (except on the hard shoulder in an emergency)
  • On a single track road or in a passing place on such a road
  • Outside a private entrance for vehicles

Emergency Entrance Exit

Do not park your vehicle to block or within 15 meters of entrances through which emergency vehicles go in and out, that is, near the entrance of:
  • Hospitals
  • Roadside clinics
  • Road Safety Stations
  • Fire Stations
  • Fire hydrants
  • Police stations
  • Market

Avoid Obstruction

Do not park where you would make the road narrow:
  • Opposite traffic island
  • Alongside another parked vehicle
  • Opposite another vehicle if this would narrow the road to less than the width of two vehicles (double parking)
  • Near road works
Note: Make sure you always park your vehicle safely. Walk a few more meters rather than cause an accident.

Parking on a slope

In order to avoid your vehicle rolling down the slope or being forced down in the event of a collision, always apply your hand brake or the parking brake and follow the simple parking guidelines set below:

Road with kerbs

If you are facing UPHILL on a road with a kerb to your right, turn your wheels as much as possible to the left. The kerb will prevent your vehicle from rolling backwards.

If you are facing DOWNHILL, turn your wheels fully to the right so that in event of rolling forward, the kerb will prevent your vehicle from rolling into traffic.

​Road without kerbs

Whichever direction you are facing, uphill or downhill, turn your wheels as far as possible to the near edge of the road.
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Note: Parking the vehicle with the position in a non-neutral gear may assist in extreme cases; it is not usually recommended as a practice.

Parking between vehicles

This manoeuvre is a mandatory test of your driving competence, before you even obtain a driver's licence, The usual method is to reverse into available space.

Other parking rules

Leave enough room for your vehicle to move out from where you are parked and leave enough room for other vehicles to move out.

You must park within half a meter from the edge of the road but not on the edge or walkway.

Do not open the door on the traffic side as it may interfere with traffic flow.
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Nigeria Highway Code, 2015-2023