DANGER CAUSED BY CARS PARKING ON PAVEMENTS
WITH regards to the recent observations on the problem of cars being parked on pavements thus restricting the passage of foot passengers, I fully endorse the views of Rachel Roberts in her letter in the Weekly News of January 22, regarding the dangers caused to blind and partially blind people by forcing them to walk on the carriageway.
I viewed the video clip she mentioned and what an awful experience it must be for any pedestrian let alone persons with poor or no visual capacity. It is also a danger to people whose hearing is impaired and to mothers with babies in prams accompanied by young children.
May I point out that during my police service, it was an offence, described as obstructing the footway thus restricting the passage of pedestrians, and it certainly remains to be one at present, but, regrettably does not seem to be enforced.
In my working days in Conwy, between 1972 and when I retired in 1986, we had notices which were placed on offending vehicles stating that pavements were for people and to refrain from parking on them.
If any vehicle was seen parked on the pavement again, with a notice having previously been placed on it, then the driver responsible would be reported and prosecuted. The best deterrent against such parking, was the local knowledge that someone had been reported and prosecuted. That information went around like wild fire.
I have one disturbing memory of many years ago, when a mother with a baby in a pram and two children walking beside her had to divert on to the carriageway because a parked vehicle was restricting her progress on the pavement. One child was struck by a passing motor cycle, but thankfully received only minor scratches because the motor cyclist had been travelling slowly, had seen the child, braked immediately and had almost come to a standstill when the collision took place.
Had a car or other large vehicle been involved, it would have had a very different ending. Unfortunately vehicles parked on pavements are a very familiar sight in many areas, and as a driver myself I have observed many a near miss in recent years.