E-car Trip Hazard (with drawing!)

[Kubricklayer]

On my usual drive to work there’s a house that recently got an electric car. They don’t have a driveway or ability to have a driveway (small garden, terraced housing), and so the car is essentially parked on the public road opposite their house.

The car is charged overnight and the charging cable drapes over their fence and along the public path to their car (see drawing). Every day for the last 4 months I drove past thinking ‘that’s clearly a trip hazard’. There’s been no attempt to mitigate the trip hazard by concealing it in a rubber mat etc.

It got me thinking if someone trips over the cable can they technically sue the owner? Or the council? Seems a possibility (someone might trip that is) since it’s being charged during hours of darkness (I drive past 6am each morning).

It also got me thinking do the companies that install the home charging points not consider these things either, as potentially some liability could fall on them?

I think you could sue if you tripped over it. They're impossible to see in the dark. If it went under the fence rather than over it would be less hazardous. I wish people would put mats over them - you can get ones for covering cables.

It is a problem for people in terraces - I think there are moves towards charging solutions but they aren't fast enough.

Ultimately it’s illegal to do so. Many councils will issue enforcement notices. In London some councils support things like gullys being dug, others insist on using lamppost points etc.

Five stars for one of the best diagrams I’ve seen on Mumsnet! Superb!
And I’m pretty sure you could sue the owner if you tripped over the cable.

The owner could get a cable cover so that the cable is no longer a hazard and wheelchairs and buggies can pass.

https://amzn.eu/d/2Njvtn4

Excellent diagram! Agreed about it being a trip hazard. Where I live you’d never be able to charge your e-car just based on the parking situation of terraced streets. The likelihood of parking near your house is very slim. You’d be ten doors away and need a cable of about 50 metres.

Definitely a trip hazard. They should put down a rubber mat on top to warn ( you can get ones with reflective bits so show up at night) and prevent accidents. Really selfish imo

Good point, I hadn't thought of the difficulties it would pose for wheelchair users and those with prams.

I’m in the process of getting a charger fitted to my house at the moment. Before I can have it installed I have to confirm that the cable will not cross public footpaths/be a hazard. They won’t install it if that is the case. Fortunately I have a driveway next to my house so it’s going on the side of the house.

It probably depends on the company though as to how much they care.

Someone in our village occasionally charges their EV by running their cable across the pavement. They put a rubber protector over it.
I would report the house in your diagram to the Local Authority. That is definitely not allowed and is a trip hazard.

Thanks I probably will report it now.

If anything it's for the owners own sake as well as members of the public using the path. The owner could easily have not considered the potential hazard and if you're in a position to prevent a possible accident I suppose it's your duty to say something.

There is a house near me that does exactly this.

It’s selfish. Please do report so someone doesn’t have a nasty accident tripping over it.

A cable cover would be a simple solution.

This is illegal to do where I live.

Along some streets where houses are terraced they've started to convert lamp posts and have added charging ports to them.