AIBU in thinking you shouldn't park across a dropped kerb?

[janey68]

On behalf of an elderly relative. She lives on a residential street where parking is a nightmare. Most houses are terraced with no off road parking, interspersed with a few houses which do have their own driveways. It seems that a number of residents with driveways have taken to parking not on their drive but across the dropped kerb in front, presumably because they are anxious about getting blocked in or because it means a tight turn to get out. My relative sometimes uses a wheelchair and its a nightmare trying to cross the street when the dropped kerbs are blocked. It must be a total pain for people with prams too. She doesn't feel she can complain because the culprits are the owners of the driveway; therefore they aren't blocking anyone else in or out of a drive. But to my mind that's not the point - surely no one can obstruct a dropped Kerb? I appreciate it must be a pain if you've ever been blocked into your driveway but surely these owners should park further along if they want to park on road?

[Workberk]

YANBU but I don't know what she can do about it except cross on corners where there are dropped kerbs. There should be dropped kerbs that aren't part of people's driveways around too.

[Workberk]

Btw if there was roadside parking nearby I imagine they'd park there instead and parking across their driveway is a 2nd choice.

[silverten]

Not quite sure I've understood this right but it sounds like the kerbs in question were installed to allow access to the drives, rather than for pedestrians. Depending on when they were done it may even have been the owners of the drives who paid for the kerbs. In which case I think the owners of the drives can park there if they want.

If you're talking about the ones at the ends of the road and at crossing points (often they have tactile paving) then no you shouldn't park there at all.

[janey68]

The dropped kerbs have been there for as long as my relative can remember- and she's lived there a long time! - so I doubt any of the current home owners paid for them. Even if they did, I presume paying for the work doesn't give ownership of that stretch of pavement or kerb. Anyway, I'm going to encourage her to at least consider logging a complaint (not with any others directly but with the local council or community police officer as they can at least investigate. For those saying just walk (or wheel) until you find an unobstructed dropped kerb- this is a loooong street, with various facilities at points along it and heavily used by parents with prams, school children needing to cross etc so it's a safety issue apart from anything else

[janey68]

That should be owners not others

[Pennyacrossthehall]

I park across the dropped kerb in front of my house sometimes - but only as a last resort if there is nowhere else nearby to park.

[MigGril]

She could log a complaint with the police through there non emergency no. they will investigate and talk to residents. I've done this before for various reasons they have been very helpful.

[RightInTheKisser]

It is illegal to park across a dropped kerb that is for pedestrians to cross a road. No idea about blocking ones own driveway though across a dropped kerb. I think I read on here that that is also illegal but can't remember the outcome!

[Goldmandra]

She might be better employed asking the council to find a suitable location to put in a dropped kerb specifically for pedestrians who wish to cross that street.

[Tiredmumno1]

The traffic wardens around my area say it's fine to do that. They will only ticket cars when they get told by the house occupier that it's not their car, if one is parked there.

[Annonynon]

As a wheelchair user myself I can understand the frustration, but I don't think the driveway owners are doing anything wrong and I definitely wouldn't complain about it

Dropped kerbs are so important but in the case of driveways they are only dropped because of access to the drive- not for pedestrians, so I see them as a bonus rather than a right

[EverythingIs50YearsWho]

If the dropped kerb has tactile paving them they're not allowed to park there, if it is just drive access then they can park there as long as they are not blocking in a vehicle.

[nowahousewife]

If my area the council are not interested if someone parks over your dropped curb as my friend found out when her new neighbours parked over her curb and left her trapped in all day. They said it was not their issue. Not a great start to their relationship!

[softlysoftly]

Not entirely sure but I think it probably isn't ok:

1 - I have a fine for blocking a dropped kerb. In fairness the road/pavement was so worn I didn't see it.

2 - BIL got a knock at the door from the police for parking across a drive

[Misspixietrix]

YNBU. If they've got a Driveway they should bloody use it! There is some around my area that park right on the widened pavement as well instead of their double driveway. Can you ask your local PCSOs OP? I knew about the not obstructing a dropped kerb but not thought of the legalities of them parking across their own. Like you say its easy access for Wheelchairs and Prams etc too.

[nowahousewife]

The council said it was not their issue, not the new neighbours who apologised and said they didn't think it would be a problem

[JuliaScurr]

Wonder what would happen if loads of wheelchair users met 'coincidentally' and had a nice long chat on the pavement just by that driveway?

[harticus]

In many parts of Spain kerbs are dropped for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Makes life so much easier - and lovely to be in an environment where it is not all about the car.

[CarmonEileen]

Our next door but 2 neighbour paid to have a dropped kerb as they had a tiny piece of garden that they turned in to a drive/car part, (Think ford focus size car side on infront of their living room window). He uses that to park one car and then uses the dropped kerb to park his people carrier. He paid for the kerb to be dropped so he can do what he likes. We struggle on a daily basis to park on our street, terraced houses and a few have more than one car per household, Some think its their right to park directly outside their house, others just park wherever they find a space :)

[2goatytocare]

softly the police told him off for blocking his own drive?

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

Have I understood it right?
Road is a public highway
Kerb is dropped to facilitate access to a private driveway
Pavement is in public, not private, ownership but a right of access is available to the driveways in question.

If so I find this odd
The traffic wardens around my area say it's fine to do that. They will only ticket cars when they get told by the house occupier that it's not their car, if one is parked there.
that seems to imply that the wardens feel the house occupiers have a right to park on the pavement (but other motorists do not)

I looked here, scroll down to 244
www.gov.uk/waiting-and-parking/parking-239-to-247
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

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

Just realized, you're not talking about blocking the pavement are you? you're talking about simply parking on a public highway, but not leaving any access to the dropped kerb for pedestrians/wheelchair users etc?
Sorry.

[MinesAPintOfTea]

Posting in front of a dropped kerb (not on the pavement) is not permitted if the kerb had been dropped for pedestrian access or if you are blocking a car from accessing the highway without permission. So parking on the road in front of a dropped kerb for your own drive is legal.

[softlysoftly]

No sorry goaty someone else's the inconsiderate fool.

But it shows that the police will/should care about a complaint of this nature.

[allmycats]

I can understand people parking on the road outside their own drives, this week I have been blocked in 3 times by people parking across my drive way.