16million Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) have been issued to UK drivers for parking offences since 2022, new data reveals, anda third of them have been successfully overturned on appeal – with many driving citing the same reason..
That’s according to data obtained through a new Freedom of Information request by Confused.com. The price comparison website asked all UK councils for figures on the number of parking fines distributed in the years 2022 up until October 2024. Confused.com also asked for the number of drivers who appealed their fine.
Just last year alone, nearly 6m PCNs were issued for parking offences. This equated to an average of 1 in 8 drivers receiving a fine during this time.
And the data found that 16% of all tickets issued were done so in November and December.
The number of parking PCNs has increased year on year. Between 2022 and 2023, there’s been a 5% increase in fines, from 5.5m to almost 5.8m. In total, drivers appealed 2.5 million parking PCNs between 2022 and 2024 to date. In 2022, 928,550 appeals were made, with more than a third (37%) being successful. Similarly, in 2023, 852,474 appeals were made, of which just over a third (34%) were successful.
Nearly 1 in 3 (30%) of those who appealed their parking PCN cited unclear parking signs as the reason. Confused.com have created a parking signs translator tool to help avoid unnecessary fines. All you have to do is upload an image on the spot of the parking sign you’re unsure of. Then the translator will provide a simple overview of when you can or can’t park at the spot in question.
Rhydian Jones, car insurance expert at Confused.com, said: “Just like many of our motoring bills, the cost of penalty charge notices (PCNs) is an extra strain on the pockets of drivers. Our research found that 3 in 5 (63%) drivers think parking signs should be made clearer to avoid confusion. That’s as nearly 1 in 3 (30%) who have appealed a parking ticket said it was because they felt the sign was unclear.
“If you’re unsure whether you can park in a space or not, don’t take the risk. You should consider parking elsewhere to avoid the risk of getting a fine, even if it’s only for a few minutes. And if you do receive a PCN fine, you might be able to challenge the decision if you think it was unfair. The process may vary depending on your local authority, so it’s important to check this before doing so.
“But before you next park at a confusing parking sign, consider using our parking signs translator if you’re unsure of the rules. All you need to do is upload an image of the parking sign and our generator will tell you the simple rules for that space. It’s a simple yet effective way to have a clearer understanding of the rules to avoid confusion.”