Government has been urged to make parking on the footway illegal right across the country. The charity Guide Dogs says people with visual impairment are among those who need greater protection.

 

Research by YouGov for the charity shows that 54% of drivers park on the pavement, with more than a quarter of those doing so at least a few times a month. The charity claims that certain streets in towns and cities have become no-go areas for blind people.

 

Senior campaigns manager James White said: “We want Government to make all pavement parking unlawful for the safety of people with sight loss and other vulnerable pedestrians, like wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs.”

 

The survey also shows widespread confusion and a mixed attitude among drivers. A fifth are reportedly unsure whether it is currently legal to park on the pavement in all parts of the UK. More than a third say that pavement parking is never acceptable, but a quarter say they don’t think it constitutes dangerous driving.

 

In London pavement parking is unlawful, except in certain areas allowed by local councils. This model should be adopted nationally, Guide Dogs says.

 

Scottish drivers were the least likely to park on the pavement, with 63% saying they had never done so. In Northern Ireland, 32% of drivers parked on the pavement a few times a week or more often.

 

Of those that parked on the pavement, drivers aged over 55 were most likely to consider blind and partially sighted people (70%) compared with 27% of 18-24 year old drivers.

 

Local Government Association’s transport spokesman Judith Blake said: “In the capital, councils have had the power to ban pavement parking for many years and it’s only fair that local authorities outside London are able to do this too, as a last resort.”