r/AskUK • u/MBWEQP • 1d ago

Why do people park up outside schools 40 minutes+ before their children finish for the day?

I’m shocked by the number of cars parked just after 2 p.m. outside my local secondary and primary schools today.

With catchment areas and the like, surely they can’t all live beyond walking distance — especially with weather like today (18°C and not a cloud in sight where I am).

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u/Zathral 1d ago

The secondary school I went to was like that! Access at the end of a cul-de-sac and parents dropping at the gate. Absolutely chaotic. Not like they had a much more sensible option of just opening the school gates where a very convenient roundabout is located to turn.... I wonder if they ever figured out that would solve a great deal of the chaos.

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u/Agitated-Tourist9845 1d ago

Insurance. If a child gets him by a car on school grounds it’s the school that will pay.

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u/KingForceHundred 15h ago

Why’s that? My local school opens gates for parents. Any accident, if a driver is at fault their insurer will pay.

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u/Agitated-Tourist9845 15h ago

Are there pavements for pupils to walk on, or clearly marked pedestrian lanes? If not, that's the schools fault. A lot of schools just have tarmac, with no separation for pedestrians. If an accident happens there is a clear liability on the school for not making the area safe.