It’s a parking rule that causes a lot of trouble for candidates taking the written driver’s license exam.
Filmed scenarios, eco-driving, new technologies: since 2016, the written driver’s license exam has undergone a major overhaul. Hundreds of new questions have been created to populate the exam’s 40-question pool.
However, when the JDN editorial team contacted Ornikar, a company that bills itself as France’s leading driving school, to identify the rule that poses the greatest difficulty for candidates, they were in for a big surprise: the rule is far from new. It has existed for over fifty years.
An old parking rule, it was already included in the Highway Code in 1969. “While most traffic code rules regarding parking and stopping are clear and easy to understand, some, such as the semi-monthly alternating one-sided parking rule, are much more complex and require some clarification,” summarizes Curtis Bassy, an instructor at Ornikar, in a practical guide sent to the editorial staff.
Here is the question that trips up candidates: “It is the 10th of the month. On a street subject to the rule of alternating one-sided parking every two weeks, should I park on the side with even-numbered houses, odd-numbered houses, or neither?” What answer would you give?
The correct answer is: on the odd-numbered side. This rule is defined by Article R. 417-2 of the Highway Code. It specifies that parking is permitted on the odd-numbered side from the 1st to the 15th of the month, then on the even-numbered side from the 16th until the end of the month. Thus, on the 10th, parking must be on the odd-numbered side.
This question is difficult to understand “because it involves a relatively rare rule,” explains a representative from Ornikar. For test-takers, it is easier to grasp rules they see every day. This is not the case with alternate-side parking on a semi-monthly basis.”
Another source of confusion: the semi-monthly parking ban can be confused with alternate-side parking on a semi-monthly basis (yes, you read that correctly). In the first case, the ban applies to only one side of the street, without necessarily requiring alternating use between the two sides.
The complexity can be further compounded by signage. Signs may specify the terms of enforcement, add time restrictions, or require the use of a parking disc. In some municipalities, the rule may even apply to an entire zone, without a systematic reminder on every street. These local rules make interpretation more difficult for both drivers and driving test candidates.
