Wheel clamp

"Clamping" redirects here. For other meanings of the word, see Clamp.

A modern wheel clamp placed on a BMW E60 5 Series for a parking violation in Melbourne by the Victorian Sheriff; note the tire spikes and panel preventing the vehicle being driven or the wheel being removed
Wheel clamp as used by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation

A wheel clamp, also known as wheel boot, parking boot, or Denver boot,[1][2] is a device that is designed to prevent motor vehicles from being moved. In its most common form, it consists of a clamp that surrounds a vehicle wheel, designed to prevent removal of both itself and the wheel.[3]

In the United States, the device became known as a "Denver boot" after the city of Denver, Colorado, which was the first place in the country to employ them, mostly to force the payment of outstanding parking tickets.[4]

While primarily associated with law enforcement and parking violations, a variety of wheel clamps are now available to consumers as theft deterrent devices for personal use as an alternative to the steering-wheel lock.

  1. ^ Lowe, David (2005). The Transport Manager's and Operator's Handbook 2006. London: Kogan Page. p. 255. ISBN 0-7494-4488-6. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  2. ^ "Denver boot". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Archived from the original on 21 August 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  3. ^ Hatch, Bill. "The Denver Boot Comes to Trin". The Trinity Tripod. Hartford, CT. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via JSTOR.
  4. ^ Acton, Johnny; Adams, Tania; Packer, Matt (2006). Origin of Everyday Things. Sterling Publishing. p. 309. ISBN 978-1-4027-4302-3. Retrieved 21 March 2011. origin of Denver Boot.