Fire routes -- right and wrong

"No parking" in a fire route even on private property can mean that you will get a ticket if you leave your vehicle. In Ontario the "Highway Traffic Act" doesn’t apply on private property but most cities have bylaws with regards to parking regulations. Parking rules are governed by various City bylaws and not the Highway Traffic Act.

Municipal parking rules apply in mall parking lots, but in Ontario, the Highway Traffic Act (the provincial rules of the road) doesn't – so you can get a parking ticket in the lot at Sobey’s, but not a speeding ticket.

In Toronto, for example, there's a bylaw against blocking a fire lane. The bylaw applies on city streets and on private property, such as the parking lot. If you park your vehicle in a fire route you will be looking at a ticket of $250. This is a fixed cost so no matter where you park in a fire route either on a city street or on private property the ticket will be the same price.

It is amazing how many times in malls you will see a car left unattended by the side of the curb with their flashers going. It doesn’t matter if you have your flashers going or not if you are parked/stopped in a fire route you can be ticketed. We also have seen cars left running with their flashers going in front of apartment buildings in driveways as people run up to their unit to pick up something they forgot. If you forgot something it is better to park in a legal spot and run up then leave your vehicle illegally stopped in a fire route. If there is an emergency and emergency vehicles are required to attend the scene you may have more problems than you originally thought.

First: Your vehicle may be blocked in for the duration of the time the emergency vehicles are on scene.

Second: You may have damage to your vehicle if is is banged by the emergency vehicles if they need to get into the area where your vehicle is located.

Third: Your vehicle just might not be there when you back back. Your vehicle may be moved, if you are lucky, or towed depending on where it is located.

Fourth: You may have a ticket in the amount of $250 for having your vehicle stopped or parked in the fire route.

Fifth: All of the above.

Fire routes are there for the safety of everyone. These spots are not for you to park because you figure that you are just going to be a minute. A minute in some cases may mean a life of someone else. Would you want it to be someone that you love that is impacted because your vehicle prevented the emergency responders from doing their job.

No parking in fire routes means just that. If you need to stop, even for a minute or two, find another location to put your vehicle.