The Relationship Between Wheelchairs and Dropped Kerbs
Have you ever taken a good look at the kerbs in your area? It’s not the most obvious things people notice when walking down the street., but it is very important, especially to those in wheelchairs.
I’ll tell you a little bit about dropped kerbs and why they’re so important.
Dropped kerbs are wheelchair friendly
People struggle to cross the road in their wheelchairs where the kerbs have not been dropped. Kerbs that have some height to them can prove to be very frustrating, and even dangerous for people with disabilities that rely on their wheelchair for support and transport. They rely on the council to be mindful of their road requirements and although kerbs can sound like the most mundane of things, and most probably come down on the bottom of a council’s list of things to do – it is actually very important.
Dropped Kerb
In Bournemouth, locals had realised that there was a danger to mobility scooter users due to the lack of dropped kerbs. Despite having to fight for the dropped kerbs to be implemented on the streets in the St. Leonards area, the Highways agency finally had to follow through with the request., and build dropped kerbs in areas where they were most needed.
The relationship between wheelchairs and dropped kerbs is more significant than meets the ground. Dropped kerbs also allow wheelchair and mobility scooter users to board a bus or car with more ease.
Any problems that have been reported to the local council, should be taken a look at. The area should be assessed to see whether or not there is a lack of dropped kerbs.
It is important to understand that heightened kerbs, or even poor standard kerbs can put lives at risk unnecessarily, so if there is a kerb issue that needs to be addressed, it should be done so without delay, so that people are not complaining, and addressing the issue before the council does, like in this report on fixmystreet.com.
Did you know, it is a parking contravention to park adjacent to a dropped kerb at any time? And, if you’re caught contravening, you could receive a Penalty Charge Notice of £130.
Keeping dropped kerbs clear from obstruction means that they can be used by people they are designed for- wheelchair users, prams and mobility scooters. It is not fair then if someone parks next to a dropped kerb, stopping people from making use of the dropped kerb there for their benefit and safety.