Guide Dogs launches campaign to strengthen the law on pavement parking

 

Guide Dogs are calling on the Government to crack down on dangerous pavement parking.

Vehicles obstructing footpaths and pathways cause huge difficulties for people with a vision impairment. People with sight loss cannot always see if they can safely squeeze past a parked car, often their only alternative is to step into the road around it – an extremely unsafe option that exposes them to oncoming traffic.

Pavement parking is a daily difficulty for Julie Pilsworth from Grimsby, and her guide dog Maeve. Her mobility chair makes it even harder to get around cars blocking the pavement.

When cars are parked on pavements, people with a vision impairment may have to risk their lives by walking into the road just to get by them. This is an issue that also impacts parents with prams, wheelchair users, older people and many others.

A survey by Guide Dogs showed that 97% of people with a vision impairment encounter problems with street obstructions, and 90% of those had experienced trouble with a pavement parked car.

A YouGov survey from January 2013 showed that over half of motorists had considered the problems pavement parking would cause to pedestrians, but had chosen to do so regardless. It is clear change needs to happen.

A standardised law across the country would make it clear that pavement parking should be the exception, not the norm for motorists, and give local authorities real power to properly tackle this problem. We want a clear law where drivers cannot park on the pavement unless in a specifically designated area, in line with Greater London.

PLEASE SIGN THEIR PETITION