Electric vehicle car charging cables hanging out of windows and draped over pavements have been slammed by leading charities as 'ludicrous' and 'unsafe'.

The National Federation of the Blind UK, Living Streets and Guide Dogs urged local authorities and electric car companies to improve charging infrastructure which currently poses a 'risk' to pedestrians.

It comes after images of poorly maintained charging cables hanging out of windows and trailing across pavements across the UK have provoked backlash on social media.

In one photo, an orange cable can be seen hanging out the window of a house in Wandsworth, London, trailing down to a lamppost and wrapped around a 20mph sign.

And in another, an orange charging cable can be seen running over a permit holders only sign in Wandsworth, London.

The NFBUK, which campaigns for the blind and partially sighted, said it was 'totally unsafe' and 'ludicrous' for homeowners to run cables from their houses to charge their cars.

A spokesman said: 'With the growth in electric vehicle ownership it is essential the infrastructure for charging them keeps up with the sales.

'Expecting people to charge them with cables coming from out their houses crossing pavements is absolutely ludicrous and is it unsafe.

'They can become trip hazards and the cables should not be allowed to cross the pavements.'

'It is totally unsafe for homeowners to run cables from their houses to charge their cars.

'It's imperative the charging for electric vehicles is undertaken on the road with no cables being present on any part of the pavement.

The spokesman added: 'Pavements are for people to use to get to A to B on foot or by using mobility device, not for EV charging cables.

'The local authorities along with the EV companies should be working together to ensure off pavement charging facilities are designed that do not impact the safety and accessibility of the pavement for blind, visually impaired, disabled and older pedestrians.

'This will ensure those people purchasing such vehicles will be able to do so with our impacting other people's safety and accessibility.'

There are 37,055 public electric vehicle charging devices in the UK, according to recent figures.

And the number of devices has increased by 31 per cent over the last year, with 8,680 installations across the UK.

Just under half of the devices are classed as 'destination', meaning they are installed where a driver may stop for an 'extended period of time' like a 'car parks', 'leisure' or 'education area'.

But in December 2022, the AA warned the Government was not meeting demand for car charging points as Tesla owners faced huge queues at service stations.

And nearly a third have been installed 'on street', meaning they are located on 'residential streets' only.

But Living Streets, a charity which campaigns for 'everyday walking' also warned against 'trailing cables' causing problems for people with wheelchairs or guide dogs in residential areas.

The charity's Director of Policy and Communications Tanya Braun said: 'The rollout of EV charging points should not come at the expense of pedestrians..

'Trailing cables present serious problems for people with wheelchairs, buggies or guide dogs, preventing them from getting around easily and safely.

'Cluttered pavements also impact on everyone's desire to walk their short journeys instead of driving them.

'If we want to encourage cleaner, sustainable ways to travel then we need streets that are walkable.'

Guide Dogs, which campaigns for the visually impaired, also said 'poorly planned' charging infrastructure create 'unnecessary' trip hazards for people with vision impairments.

Chris Theobold, the charity's Senior Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager, said: 'Street clutter on pavements remains one of the main challenges facing blind and partially sighted people, with 97 per cent of people with a vision impairment encountering problems with street obstacles.

'Obstacles like pavement parking, wheelie bins and dockless rental bikes and e-scooters in larger towns and cities make safely navigating pavements more of a challenge.

'While poorly planned charging infrastructure placed on pavements and charging cables stretched across pavements only create further unnecessary trip hazards which are hard to detect and avoid for people with a vision impairment.

'Long cane users are bound to snag their canes on wires running across pavements, which could cause injury and would certainly be stressful, particularly if it happens every few metres.

'A guide dog would most likely step over a cable, but a guide dog owner may not realise the cable is there, which could result in them tripping and falling.

'Local authorities need to work with manufacturers to develop ways to make it easier to charge electric and hybrid vehicles by incorporating charging facilities into common street features like bollards.

'These types of bollards are typically close to the kerb and prevent cables from running across the pavement.'

There are over 760,000 fully electric cars in the UK and more than 265,000 battery-electric cars were registered in 2022, a 40 per cent increase compared to 2021, according to charging app Zapapp.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-12090071/Fury-selfish-electric-car-owners-dangling-charging-cables-pavement.html?ico=mol_desktop_home

On 20/05/2023 08:27 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> Electric vehicle car charging cables hanging out of windows and draped over pavements have been slammed by leading charities as 'ludicrous' and 'unsafe'.

And they're right.

Will no-one THINK of the poor chavs-on-bikes who might be decapitated on
one of those footways?

> The National Federation of the Blind UK, Living Streets and Guide Dogs urged local authorities and electric car companies to improve charging infrastructure which currently poses a 'risk' to pedestrians.
> It comes after images of poorly maintained charging cables hanging out of windows and trailing across pavements across the UK have provoked backlash on social media.
> In one photo, an orange cable can be seen hanging out the window of a house in Wandsworth, London, trailing down to a lamppost and wrapped around a 20mph sign.
> And in another, an orange charging cable can be seen running over a permit holders only sign in Wandsworth, London.
> The NFBUK, which campaigns for the blind and partially sighted, said it was 'totally unsafe' and 'ludicrous' for homeowners to run cables from their houses to charge their cars.
> A spokesman said: 'With the growth in electric vehicle ownership it is essential the infrastructure for charging them keeps up with the sales.
> 'Expecting people to charge them with cables coming from out their houses crossing pavements is absolutely ludicrous and is it unsafe.

Haven't you just SAID that, two lines back?

> 'They can become trip hazards and the cables should not be allowed to cross the pavements.'

Absolutely.

If you have an electric car, you must charge it safely. That means at an
official charging point, most of which are off the road, or on your
own-off-street charging point (ie, in your garage or driveway)
>
> 'It is totally unsafe for homeowners to run cables from their houses to charge their cars.

Agreed. 101%
>
> 'It's imperative the charging for electric vehicles is undertaken on the road with no cables being present on any part of the pavement.

Eh?

You surely meant: "It's imperative the charging for electric vehicles is
NOT undertaken on the road...".
>
> The spokesman added: 'Pavements are for people to use to get to A to B on foot or by using mobility device, not for EV charging cables...

....of for chavs riding their fairy-bikes along them.
>
> 'The local authorities along with the EV companies should be working together to ensure off pavement charging facilities are designed that do not impact the safety and accessibility of the pavement for blind, visually impaired, disabled and older pedestrians.>
> 'This will ensure those people purchasing such vehicles will be able to do so with our impacting other people's safety and accessibility.'
> There are 37,055 public electric vehicle charging devices in the UK, according to recent figures.

And that is where electric cars should be charged if they cannot be
charged off-street on the keeper's property.

We are on the same page here.
>
> And the number of devices has increased by 31 per cent over the last year, with 8,680 installations across the UK.

"...installations..."?

Do they mean proper, authorised, safe installations such that no danger
is caused to third parties?
>
> Just under half of the devices are classed as 'destination', meaning they are installed where a driver may stop for an 'extended period of time' like a 'car parks', 'leisure' or 'education area'.

Fair enough. I see that the local Lidl has three or four electric
charging points *in* *their* *car-park*.
>
> But in December 2022, the AA warned the Government was not meeting demand for car charging points as Tesla owners faced huge queues at service stations.

The AA should know better. Service areas are privately run. So are
public charging points.

> And nearly a third have been installed 'on street', meaning they are located on 'residential streets' only.

On the kerb, you mean?

Not the best solution, but it has a part to play, I suppose.
>
> But Living Streets, a charity which campaigns for 'everyday walking' also warned against 'trailing cables' causing problems for people with wheelchairs or guide dogs in residential areas.

Quite right too.
>
> The charity's Director of Policy and Communications Tanya Braun said: 'The rollout of EV charging points should not come at the expense of pedestrians.

Only a chav-cyclist could disagree with that as a sentiment.
>
> 'Trailing cables present serious problems for people with wheelchairs, buggies or guide dogs, preventing them from getting around easily and safely.
> 'Cluttered pavements also impact on everyone's desire to walk their short journeys instead of driving them.
> 'If we want to encourage cleaner, sustainable ways to travel then we need streets that are walkable.'
> Guide Dogs, which campaigns for the visually impaired, also said 'poorly planned' charging infrastructure create 'unnecessary' trip hazards for people with vision impairments.
> Chris Theobold, the charity's Senior Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager, said: 'Street clutter on pavements remains one of the main challenges facing blind and partially sighted people, with 97 per cent of people with a vision impairment encountering problems with street obstacles.
> 'Obstacles like pavement parking, wheelie bins and dockless rental bikes and e-scooters in larger towns and cities make safely navigating pavements more of a challenge.

IOW, all those "solutions" lauded by the loony greenies.
>
> 'While poorly planned charging infrastructure placed on pavements and charging cables stretched across pavements only create further unnecessary trip hazards which are hard to detect and avoid for people with a vision impairment.
> 'Long cane users are bound to snag their canes on wires running across pavements, which could cause injury and would certainly be stressful, particularly if it happens every few metres.
> 'A guide dog would most likely step over a cable, but a guide dog owner may not realise the cable is there, which could result in them tripping and falling.
> 'Local authorities need to work with manufacturers to develop ways to make it easier to charge electric and hybrid vehicles by incorporating charging facilities into common street features like bollards.
> 'These types of bollards are typically close to the kerb and prevent cables from running across the pavement.'

There aren't many bollards at the kerb (on the footway) in residential
side-streets.

> There are over 760,000 fully electric cars in the UK and more than 265,000 battery-electric cars were registered in 2022, a 40 per cent increase compared to 2021, according to charging app Zapapp.
> https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-12090071/Fury-selfish-electric-car-owners-dangling-charging-cables-pavement.html?ico=mol_desktop_home

"...selfish"... That's the word. There are lots of selfish road-users
misusing footways, aren't there?

To chavs on bikes on the footway, we now have to add entitled people
using the footway to run electrical connections to their electric
vehicles parked on-street, when they should be on the driveway, in the
garage, or at the nearest public charging point.

Scots Lass, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 21 hours ago

I understood it was illegal to have any kind of charger lead stretched across a public pavement? Chap where I live used to charge his car in this way but has now stopped. I think he was spoken to about the risks to others. If you have your own driveway, fine, but do not endanger other people.

On 21/05/2023 05:31 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> Scots Lass, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 21 hours ago
>
> I understood it was illegal to have any kind of charger lead stretched across a public pavement? Chap where I live used to charge his car in this way but has now stopped. I think he was spoken to about the risks to others. If you have your own driveway, fine, but do not endanger other people.

"Fine" if you have your own driveway?

Well, yes, as long as that's where the vehicle is.

It doesn't entitle the driveway owner to stretch a cable across the footway.

captains log, manchester, United Kingdom, 1 day ago

And people in petrol and diesel cars park on pavements. But DM knows anything anti EV is a dog whistle.

---------------------------------------
It upsets the climate deniers and pro fossil fuel gammons.
Just like wind turbines and solar panels do.

JNugent <jenningsandco@mail.com> wrote:

>> 'Obstacles like pavement parking, wheelie bins and dockless rental bikes
>> and e-scooters in larger towns and cities make safely navigating
>> pavements more of a challenge.

> IOW, all those "solutions" lauded by the loony greenies.

That’s greenies for you - they just didn’t think those things through.

--
Spike

On Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 6:33:32 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> captains log, manchester, United Kingdom, 1 day ago
>
> And people in petrol and diesel cars park on pavements. But DM knows anything anti EV is a dog whistle.

Not a cable in sight.

https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/24/590x/pavement-parking-1150744.jpg?r=1562602655286

On 22/05/2023 10:18 am, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> On Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 6:33:32 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>> captains log, manchester, United Kingdom, 1 day ago
>>
>> And people in petrol and diesel cars park on pavements. But DM knows anything anti EV is a dog whistle.
>
> Not a cable in sight.
>
> https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/24/590x/pavement-parking-1150744.jpg?r=1562602655286

What makes you "think" there aren't any?

JNugent <jenningsandco@mail.com> wrote:
> On 22/05/2023 10:18 am, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> On Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 6:33:32 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> captains log, manchester, United Kingdom, 1 day ago
>>>
>>> And people in petrol and diesel cars park on pavements. But DM knows
>>> anything anti EV is a dog whistle.

>> Not a cable in sight.

>> https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/24/590x/pavement-parking-1150744.jpg?r=1562602655286

> What makes you "think" there aren't any?

Supposition? <ducks>

--
Spike

QUOTE: Obstacles like pavement parking, wheelie bins and dockless rental bikes and e-scooters in larger towns and cities make safely navigating pavements more of a challenge.

'While poorly planned charging infrastructure placed on pavements and charging cables stretched across pavements only create further unnecessary trip hazards which are hard to detect and avoid for people with a vision impairment.

'Long cane users are bound to snag their canes on wires running across pavements, which could cause injury and would certainly be stressful, particularly if it happens every few metres. ENDS

Do you think these moron drivers give a toss about the disabled?

On 22/05/2023 04:26 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> QUOTE: Obstacles like pavement parking, wheelie bins and dockless rental bikes and e-scooters in larger towns and cities make safely navigating pavements more of a challenge.
>
> 'While poorly planned charging infrastructure placed on pavements and charging cables stretched across pavements only create further unnecessary trip hazards which are hard to detect and avoid for people with a vision impairment.
>
> 'Long cane users are bound to snag their canes on wires running across pavements, which could cause injury and would certainly be stressful, particularly if it happens every few metres. ENDS
>
> Do you think these moron drivers give a toss about the disabled?

They're only doing what idiots like Khan and you tell them to do.

You should have thought about the effect on chav-cyclists on footways
beforehand.

But you failed to do so.

Candycane57, Norwich, United Kingdom, 11 hours ago

Unless you have a way of charging electric cars another way, there will be hundreds of leads a cross paths, verges, fences etc it's unavoidable and they'll be hundreds of them when people come home at night and need to charge their cars. Try and walk the pavements then.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> Candycane57, Norwich, United Kingdom, 11 hours ago
>
> Unless you have a way of charging electric cars another way, there will
> be hundreds of leads a cross paths, verges, fences etc it's unavoidable
> and they'll be hundreds of them when people come home at night and need
> to charge their cars. Try and walk the pavements then.

We need to invent a car that doesn’t need charging.

--
Spike

QUOTE: Friend of freedom, North Shields, United Kingdom, 22 hours ago

It is an illegal practice, and anyone who trips over these cables should sue the owners. The car insurance companies will refuse to pay. However, it would be interesting to find out if their home insurance would cough up under the liability clause. ENDS

Cyclists have that - follow their lead - ho ho.