Fine issued after measuring... with shoes. Driver won case in Oslo
Parking attendants in Oslo measure the distance between cars and intersections using their own feet. The Norwegian Metrology Service (Justervesenet) criticises this method and points out that measurements should be reliable when fines are issued. The agency recommends using a measuring tape or ruler.
The court found the method of verifying whether the offence had been committed to be ineffective.
Fot. Fotolia (zdjęcie poglądowe)
More than 100 parking attendants working for the Municipality of Oslo use a method referred to as “foting”. Officers place one foot in front of the other, count the steps taken, and then multiply the number by the length of their shoe sole. This is how they check the distance. The method is used, among other things, to verify whether a car has been parked at least five metres from an intersection.
The measurement is carried out using feet. Agency points to a problem
Justervesenet considers this method of measuring to be insufficiently precise. Thomas Framnes, the agency’s head of information, points out that drivers receiving fines should be certain that the distance was determined correctly. This is about the basis for imposing a penalty. Justervesenet therefore recommends using a measuring tape or a metre ruler.
The differences can be significant. According to calculations by the magazine “Motor”, with shoe size 36, a distance of five metres corresponds to 22.7 sole lengths. With shoe size 45, the same number of shoe lengths already amounts to 6.33 metres. The result therefore depends on the footwear of the person carrying out the inspection.
The differences can be significant. According to calculations by the magazine “Motor”, with shoe size 36, a distance of five metres corresponds to 22.7 sole lengths. With shoe size 45, the same number of shoe lengths already amounts to 6.33 metres. The result therefore depends on the footwear of the person carrying out the inspection.
The court had no doubts.Photo: Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0/Bjoertvedt
Driver won in court. The measurement did not confirm the distance
“Motor” previously reported on the case of a driver who received a fine following such a measurement in Torshov, Oslo. Parking attendants determined the car’s distance from the intersection using their feet. The driver challenged the penalty. The case went to the Oslo District Court (Oslo tingrett).
The court ruled in favour of the driver and relieved him of the obligation to pay the fine. It pointed out, among other things, that the method used did not document the actual distance of the vehicle from the intersection. The way the measurement was carried out was therefore relevant to the outcome of the case. Measuring with feet alone was not enough to confirm the stated distance.
The court ruled in favour of the driver and relieved him of the obligation to pay the fine. It pointed out, among other things, that the method used did not document the actual distance of the vehicle from the intersection. The way the measurement was carried out was therefore relevant to the outcome of the case. Measuring with feet alone was not enough to confirm the stated distance.
The Municipality of Oslo defends its current practice for organisational reasons. In its view, using a measuring tape is difficult and impractical because parking attendants often carry out inspections on their own. However, Justervesenet maintains its recommendation to use tools intended for measuring distances.
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