Parking spots reserved for pregnant women and families in Tychy

As a gesture of courtesy that also contributes to their safety

Special pink parking spots have appeared at several locations in the Polish city of Tychy. The spaces are reserved for pregnant women and families with young children and are meant to help them hop on and off their cars safely, by granting them the necessary space. These can be seen in front of the Tychy City Hall, at the Municipal Social Welfare Centre and at the Paprocany Recreation Centre.

Respecting mothers-to-be is a matter of personal choice

The pink parking spaces are wider than the traditional ones: instead, they are of similar size to the spaces for disabled persons, which are usually right next to them. It is easy to recognise them by the outline of a family with a pram visible on the pink background as in the picture above.

Iwona Bińkowska, head of the Social Affairs and Health Department at the Municipality of Tychy explained that the places are dedicated to pregnant women and parents with a child up to the age of one. This form of a nod to future mothers and young families also raises awareness of the needs of this group.

The official also added that women in the third trimester of pregnancy need more space to safely and comfortably get in and out of the car. “Besides, everyone who has had a baby knows how difficult it is to take a child out of the car with a car seat or a pram. In this case, it doesn't matter who is parking: mom or dad,” she added.

The reserved spots, however, are not such by law: there will not be a sign in the traffic law for this and one cannot punish people for parking there without carrying a child. City authorities believe, however, that drivers will respect the markings and will use them as intended.

Finally, the idea of ​​creating such places is not novel: it already exists in Italy, where the respect for the pink parking spaces is also left to the discretion of the individual driver.