The way we show parking regulations is confusing for many people. Is there a better way?

We've all been there — the struggle to find a park is one of the major challenges of urban life.

You drive around for 20 minutes and finally clock an open spot, only to be confronted with a jumbled parking sign, and one of life's most confounding questions.

Can I park here?

Getting the question wrong can cost you upwards of $100 a pop in some Australian cities.

So how good are you at tackling the modern conundrum of differently coloured, seemingly jumbled words and numbers?

Take our quiz and we'll show you how there's a better way to answer this eternal question.

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The signs in this quiz were collected from three local government areas around Sydney: City of Sydney, Inner West Council and Woollahra Council.

We contacted each of them for comment on the confusing nature of their signs.

A spokeswoman for the City of Sydney said: "The City simplifies signage wherever possible when installing new parking restrictions, including using existing light poles and traffic signal posts instead of installing new poles".

"City staff recently met with Roads and Maritime Services to discuss a collaborative approach to simplifying on-street parking signs."

Meanwhile, Inner West Council's spokeswoman noted that the council had voted unanimously in August 2018 to "undertake a review of how Council can simplify parking signs throughout the municipality and that the results of the review be brought to the Traffic Committee".

"Council is currently investigating and liaising with [the Roads and Maritime Service]," she said.

And Woollahra's spokeswoman said: "[W]e would support any moves by the RMS to improve the way in which parking signage is presented to the public. Improvements would need to be consistent across NSW," as well as promising to look into the confusing nature of the sign we presented.

The NSW Government is currently conducting an enquiry into confusing parking designs, which is accepting submissions from the public.

A spokeswoman for NSW Treasury told the ABC that more than 1,500 people had completed an online survey as part of the review.

"We have also received a range of ideas from the community, including visual-type parking signs used in other areas around the world. A number of people also sent pictures of confusing signs from across NSW," she said.

"Options to make signs clearer and more effective for motorists will be considered ... but it is too early in the process to indicate what changes may be considered."

Parking sign regulations are a messy patchwork in Australia, and change can require input from both councils, state governments and regulatory authorities, so any movement will inevitably be at a glacial pace.

In the meantime, if you want more information on Ms Sylianteng's designs, you'll find templates on her blog.

And if you've seen any examples of confusing parking signs in your local area, you can send them in to us.