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What if you could avoid a parking ticket, by finding a legitimate parking space?

Editor-in-Chief of PC Magazine, Lance Ulanoff, says there are a number of free online services out there that will help you to do just that.

“What they do is tap into existing databases to let you know about parking availability -- whether that is a parking space with a meter, an area that has certain time restrictions, or even parking at a hockey game,” says Ulanoff.

By consulting the websites before leaving home or by downloading their applications to a mobile device, drivers can save themselves time as well as a parking ticket.

“My favorite right now is Primo Spot. And PrimoSpot.com is really about the public parking in New York and a couple of the boroughs. You can search for where you are going, you've got a map, the map moves around and the map shows you where you can park, what times you can park, and what areas you should stay away from,” says Ulanoff. “ParkingSpots.com is interesting because it gives you information you might not otherwise know about. It tells you about people who are renting out spots -- people who are renting out spots by their home because they live near a venue or it's a place that makes a business of it. The other one we like is Park Whiz. And ParkWhiz.com is really about parking for venues. Everything from airports to sporting events to theaters --the ones that you can reserve in advance you can reserve. But be warned that most of these spots can not be reserved. But it certainly helps you to find out where you are going to park.”

For drivers, a little preparation can go a long way, especially when it comes to avoiding a pricey ticket.