Driving in Britain for mobility, hearing or visually impaired or disabled people
Parking
If you're a disabled visitor with a European Blue Badge (www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/MotoringAndTransport/DG_4001061), you're exempt from certain parking fees. The concessions only apply to on-street parking and include free use of parking meters and pay-and-display bays.
You may also be exempt from limits on parking times imposed on others and can park for up to three hours on yellow lines (except where there is a ban on loading or unloading or other restrictions).
The Blue Badge scheme does not apply to off-street car parks (e.g. at supermarkets), private roads or at most airports. In off-street car parks such as supermarkets, there are usually designated disabled parking bays, and these are usually close to the shop entrance.
To find Blue Badge parking bays near your destination, visit Directgov - Blue Badge Parking Bays (bluebadge.direct.gov.uk/).
Assistance & accessible toilets at petrol stations
If you have certain mobility, hearing, visual or disabled needs and require assistance filling your tank at a petrol station, you should find that assistance is available at most petrol stations in Britain.
Some petrol stations have a button beside petrol pumps that you can push to alert a staff member that you need assistance. At other times, you may need to honk your car horn to attract a staff member's attention.
However, some stations are self-service only, and some smaller stations have a small number of staff so assistance may not always be possible. Most large petrol stations also have accessible toilets, however not all petrol stations do. To avoid difficulties, try where possible to stop at larger petrol stations in towns or at motorway services.
Motoring difficulties & emergencies
Orange emergency telephones are situated at approximately half-mile intervals along motorways. They connect to the Police Motorway Control Centre who can send the appropriate help, e.g. AA (www.theaa.com/) (Automobile Association), RAC (www.rac.co.uk/), police, ambulance or fire brigade.
London Congestion Charge
To find out about London Congestion Charge exemptions for disabled drivers, visit our Congestion zone charge page.