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The laws on parking on the pvement?
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
According to a friend of mine, it's different if you live in London. I live in Plymouth.
Went out for a run last night. Whatever route I do, I am required to run on the pavement.
Someone (a relative of mine) had parked on the pavement. He'd left just enough room for me (I am by no means fat) to squeeze past. There was plenty of room for him to park fully on the road and not block anyone. Given that he has young children of his own, I would have expected him to use his brain a bit and not to park on the pavement, unless he wants his children to have to walk in the road. Clearly, I'm wrong.
I've noticed a lot of people do this. As someone who is hearing and sight impaired, (I am not deaf; but most sounds come out as muffled and my hearing is sensitive) I am not willing to risk it by walking on the road. I can't see far enough in either direction to see which way cars are coming.
Whilst running out before with a different friend, we came across cars on the pavement and he said that's why we have cracks in the pavement. The cracks can cause problems for me and are the reason why I tend to fall.
Went out for a run last night. Whatever route I do, I am required to run on the pavement.
Someone (a relative of mine) had parked on the pavement. He'd left just enough room for me (I am by no means fat) to squeeze past. There was plenty of room for him to park fully on the road and not block anyone. Given that he has young children of his own, I would have expected him to use his brain a bit and not to park on the pavement, unless he wants his children to have to walk in the road. Clearly, I'm wrong.
I've noticed a lot of people do this. As someone who is hearing and sight impaired, (I am not deaf; but most sounds come out as muffled and my hearing is sensitive) I am not willing to risk it by walking on the road. I can't see far enough in either direction to see which way cars are coming.
Whilst running out before with a different friend, we came across cars on the pavement and he said that's why we have cracks in the pavement. The cracks can cause problems for me and are the reason why I tend to fall.
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Comments
Parking on the pavement is sometimes a necessity to prevent road hazards. Often people loading will need to pull onto the pavement and there are plenty of streets in the uk where there is no provision at all for on-street parking.
Obviously it should be avoided if possible, pavements are there for pedestrians, but sometimes it is the lesser of two evils.
I have been told to call 101 the next time this happens. Apparently, because his neighbours parks on the pavement, it's ok for him to do it, regardless of how much room he leaves. And there's a perfectly good parking space around the back of his house.
https://www.gov.uk/waiting-and-parking/parking-239-to-247
244
You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.
Law GL(GP)A sect 15
However it is not uncommon in certain areas to have the entire street park on the pavement because there is no other parking provision, especially in old towns that were originally built without the concept of everyone owning a car. I would say if its someone who lives near you you could contact the council who will have a roads department who can clarify and/or remind people of the policy. I would say if its somewhere on a run away from your house - pick your battles. You can always run a different route.
I did look at the highway code. But as I understand, it's not actually law or something?
Correct. As the previous poster said, the ban is effective in London and not most other places.
I normally got through gaps with my pram. Such a shame the pram was damaged and had a sharp edge on it that could scrape down cars. Oops.
Unless I want to get a bus or two somewhere, there's really nowhere else for me to run.
Not sure parking on the pavement warrants criminal damage.
I've never got the argument that parking on the pavement is necessary on narrow roads. If you can't park safely on the roadway then you should be parking somewhere else.
What's the other option then? I am not willing to walk on a main road and put my own safety at risk.
Otherwise you probably have to lump it and squeeze past. There's no magic solution, and people aren't suddenly going to stop parking in places where there's no actual parking restriction.
Just get past. There's no need to force mirrors out of the way, or "accidentally" scratch cars. In the Fairly Unusual case that someone has actually parked such as it prevents reasonable passing, then that's really a bit of tough luck. I can't imagine that it happens every day, everywhere. Most drivers are considerate of allowing space when possible. If, in those cases, sight issues prevent you from seeing down the road to pass the car, then I expect you'd need to wait for a passer-by to assist you, or, if you don't want to ask for such help, wait for a passer-by going the same direction as you and then follow them onto the road to pass.
The rule of thumb is, if someone can get past in a wheelchair, then it isn't an obstruction.
You're willing to be arrested for it though? Or pay several hundred pounds in costs when you're sued for damage? This holier than thou talk of they should park somewhere else is bollocks, it's sheer-bloody mindedness. If there is enough space to walk past a car and then you have to force the wingmirror back causing damage then I'd argue you're doing it on purpose to prove some kind of misguided point.
I personally think there should be an outright ban on it. If the road is so narrow you have to go on the pavement then go park somewhere safer.
If the government were capable of managing the money properly, then the VEL we have to pay for should cover the repairs....
As for an outright ban, where do you park your car? Very few people have driveways, let alone garages. Where do they go? What if all the surrounding streets are too narrow to park a car fully on the road?
Pavements are designed to take the weight of people not cars. Local authorities are responsible for maintenance. In the grand scheme of things I'd rather pay for a library than repair work caused by inconsiderate fuckwits in Chelsea Tractors.
If you are not causing an obstruction outside London then you are not breaking the law. If you do happen to cause an obstuction (sometimes I have to when loading or unloading) that is still not an excuse to cause damage to thaqt vehicle. That would make you cunt.
It's almost like cars have priority and real people using their own two feet don't. Oh wait..
Yeah I hate cars
Yeah, that's a practical idea.
Where there's room to get past it doesn't really bother me. Where I had to take my pram I to the road it did. Causing an obstruction makes you a cunt, something that isn't that uncommon with white van and 4x4 drivers. Nobody "has" to cause an obstruction and put the elderly, disabled and children at risk. They choose to because they are a weapons grade arsehole.
Pretty sure I left enough space though.
And in Cornwall I do it even more.... :shocking: