My wife and I became Guide Dog boarders two years ago and it has literally opened our eyes to the dangers and difficulties caused by thoughtless and selfish parking. Cars that are parked irresponsibly on pavements can cause a potentially dangerous obstruction for pedestrians as it can force them onto the road and into the path of vehicles.
Newly released research by YouGov has shown that three quarters (74 per cent) of people are affected by vehicles parked on the pavement. Some groups – including people living with sight loss, older people or those with buggies – are at greater risk. Ninety-one per cent of respondents living with sight loss who responded to a Guide Dogs survey said that parked cars on the pavement regularly obstruct them.
You can see how dangerous pavement parking can be in real-life video footage, filmed from a guide dog’s view, of a guide dog and their owner having to go out into the road to get around a car at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMQt-cfEFsg We are joining with Guide Dogs in urging the public to ensure they don’t park on the pavement.
Colin and Hilary Froude, Salisbury.
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