Status unknown
Cars driving on pavement
Reported in the Car parking category anonymously at 13:37, Tue 12 March 2019
Sent to Portsmouth City Council 3 minutes later. FixMyStreet ref: 1569660.
For people with visual impairments, mobility problems, parents with pushchairs and the elderly, cars parked on the pavement pose a major threat.
Often cars do not leave enough space for other users on the pavement, meaning that they have to either make the choice to cross the road, sometimes having to go back on themselves to find an appropriate place, or even travel in the road to avoid the parked car.
Tangier Road, Baffins seems to be a particular hot spot for this, with one local resident saying: "People who have disabilities like to be as independent as possible, and it takes quite a lot of nerve to go out independently.
"If people are parked in a selfish way it's a massive knock to one's confidence if you think you can't get from A to B on a route that you've learned really well.
"It's enough to make you not have the confidence to go out on your own."
Some people with a visual impairment or sight loss have a guide dog to help them navigate their way, and while they are exceptionally well trained, there are certain situations where they won't be able to make the decision for the owner. Helen Sismore is the Guide Dog engagement officer
Helen Sismore, Guide Dog engagement officer , said: "Guide dogs are taught that if they cannot get through a gap they indicate that there is a blockage by stopping.
"They will look to the owner saying 'I won't be able to get through the gap so you need to tell me what to do', because they are trained not to go in the road.
"The guide dog will have to go into the road, and you'll see the stress in the dog because it's taught not to do that.
"So the dog speeds up and then the owner has to speed up as well, and if they have mobility problems then it's an accident waiting to happen."
A YouGov survey by Guide Dogs found that 54 per cent of drivers admit to parking on the pavement, of which 17 per cent admit to doing it more than once per week.
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