Disabled bay abusers rack up 100,000 fines

The survey suggests a total of 97,138 fixed penalty tickets were handed out to drivers caught misusing the UK’s 42,000 council-operated disabled spaces.

And the actual number could be much higher, as the figures don’t include fines issued to drivers caught in non-council bays, such as those in private car parks and supermarkets.

In a related poll of 2,000 motorists, just 8% admitted to parking in disabled parking bays.

• Blue Badge breakdown cover

The study also found that 11,000 tickets were handed out to motorists who obstructed dropped kerbs. Drivers were hit with £1.7 million in fines for this offence, which can cause dangerous obstructions for disabled pedestrians and those with pushchairs.

The Confused.com survey found half of Blue Badge holders think more disabled spaces should be provided, in light of Government plans to extend to scheme to include those with so-called hidden disabilities, such as autism and mental health conditions.

The data was compiled using a series of Freedom of Information requests to local authorities around the UK.

• Parking guide: where you can and can’t park

The figures come after official Department for Transport (DfT) data released in November 2018 found that the number of Blue Badge thefts surged by 45% in just 12 months.

Government figures show a staggering 4,246 Blue Badges were reported stolen in England during 2017/2018, while local authorities took legal action against 1,215 motorists misusing the permits.

Martin Tett, transport spokesman for the Local Government Association, called the number of thefts “alarming” but maintained that councils are working hard to tackle the problem.

He said: “Callous thieves and unscrupulous fraudsters using them illegally are robbing disabled people of this independence [gained from using the permits]”.

Copyright Press Association 2018. Motoring News articles do not reflect the RAC's views unless clearly stated.