The pedestrian safety group has latched on to the issue, prompted by Deputy Ross Le Brun, about vehicles mounting the pavement and frequently driving along it.
‘Enforcement may never be perfect, but standards influence driver behaviour, guide public understanding and reinforce that mounting a pavement is exceptional – not a routine driving manoeuvre – and must always put pedestrian safety first,’ it said.
Living Streets treasurer Dani Bennett said that there were known spots around the island where the practice was common.
She suggested that perhaps the police could look to enforce the laws in the same way that they do with speeding and send officers out to patrol these spots from time to time.
‘I think everyone’s fine with the concept of if there’s an obstruction, you mount the pavement, then get off the pavement, or just go slowly so that you don’t need to mount the pavement,’ she said.
The concern was the drivers who need to drive on the pavement but continue along it at 25mph.
‘This is the behaviour that’s been normalised. It’s like pavement surfing for convenience, not for necessity.’
Deputy Le Brun has argued that if a vehicle has to use the pavement, there should be a clear expectation that it does so slowly, with pedestrians having priority.
He has proposed a 5mph limit on a footpath to help establish that expectation and ‘create a culture around what acceptable behaviour looks like. The rule establishes the expectation.’