“You have to bounce down off a kerb onto the main road, facing oncoming traffic”
A wheelchair user has spoken out about the dangers of vans, lorries and other vehicles being parked on pavements.
Blaise Hughes is sharing his experience in a video appeal as part of the Road to Zero campaign to increase road safety. In the video, he demonstrates how wheelchair users are often forced to “bounce down off a kerb onto the main road” into oncoming traffic when pavements are blocked by parked vehicles.
The Road to Zero campaign say that drivers “often mistakenly think they are doing the right thing” by parking on pavements to ensure the road is clear without realising the “consequences of their vehicle blocking the way” for pedestrians.
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“Parking on pavements is very, very dangerous,” wheelchair user Blaise Hughes explains in the video appeal. “For a life of a disabled person like myself, having to try and navigate past a van, lorry, bus causes so many problems for us.”
He continues: “You have to bounce down off a kerb onto the main road, facing oncoming traffic and that causes collisions. Just don’t do it.”
A spokesperson for the Share the Road to Zero campaign said: “Parking on pavements puts everyone using the pavements at risk. Drivers often mistakenly think they are doing the right thing by keeping the road clear but fail to realise the consequences of their vehicle blocking the way for people using the footpath.
“This is an important and little understood road safety issue. It aims to show drivers how parking on the pavement can endanger all pavement users forcing them into oncoming traffic, including people with disabilities, older people, children and people pushing prams.”
The spokesperson continued: “Parking on the pavement at a junction also blocks the view for drivers emerging from a side road, by causing an obstruction, making them unable to see oncoming vehicles, including cyclists and motorcyclists or perhaps even pedestrians.
“Drivers should be mindful of the consequences of parking your vehicle on a pavement and to think about the needs of others.”
The spokesperson added: “No one would ever intentionally block anyone’s path if they needed to use the pavement, however, some drivers are unknowingly doing just that. Next time, don’t be selfish.”
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